One Person Dead, 23 Hospitalized After Hard Summer Music Festival
By Ellis Clopton
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – One man died and two women remain in the hospital after the conclusion of the music festival held this past weekend in Fontana, Calif.
A San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson confirmed to Variety that 19-year-old Andrew Cole Click of Tracy, Calif., was taken to a local area hospital and pronounced dead at 11:45 p.m. on Sunday. There will be an autopsy conducted to determine the cause of death.
Twenty-three other people were transported to local hospitals for various medical issues and were eventually released. Two women remain hospitalized to continue further treatment.
In a statement on Tuesday, the festival’s organizers said, “It is with great sadness that we have learned a festival attendee has passed away following HARD Summer this weekend. We extend our deepest sympathies to the individual’s loved ones, and we ask that you keep them in your thoughts. The health and safety of those who attend our events is HARD’s utmost priority, and we take every measure to create a safe and enjoyable environment. We have no further information at this time, but we encourage the community to come together, support each other, and always look out for one another in light of this tragedy.”
Over 81,500 festival-goers attended on Saturday and over 74,600 attended on Sunday. The Sheriff’s Department attributed the hospitalizations and other medical issues to the extreme heat, which reached over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and the festival’s high attendance rate. The Sheriff’s Department spokesperson said there were several medical tents on site to provide treatment during the festival.
Eleven people were also arrested for various charges, most of which were drug offenses.
The alternative and electronic music festival was held at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana and featured headliners including Marshmello, Travis Scott, Louis the Child, and Rick Ross. Hard held another festival in Denver last week called the Hard Red Rocks fest.
