Title: Heat Hospitalized 10 at Aaron Carter concert
Date: Aug 10, 2001
Source: The News Journal (www.delawareonline.com)
Source: Submitted By: Brittany
Source: http://www3.backstreet.net/www.cgi?x=show&d=news&i=010810-0000-05&c=6
Topic: News
Author: Ryan Cormier
Heat hospitalizes 10 at Kahunaville concert
Additional 55 teens and parents treated for heat-related illnesses
About 10 fans of teen pop star Aaron Carter were hospitalized after being overcome by extreme heat during an outdoor concert on Wilmington's Riverfront Wednesday night.
Most of those hospitalized were young girls suffering from heat exhaustion, officials said.
Emergency medical service personnel treated an additional 55 teens and some parents for heat-related illnesses at the sold-out concert at the Kahuna Summerstage.
The nearly 4,500 fans in attendance were hosed down by concert workers throughout the show and also received free bottles of water to stay hydrated.
But some of the squealing fans, already overheated by Carter, succumbed to the 85-degree temperature.
"It was just too much," said Drew Martin, director of D.C. Medical Enterprises, which treated most of the patients at the concert.
Those who needed hospitalization were taken to Christiana, Wilmington and St. Francis hospitals, officials said.
The names and conditions of the hospitalized patients were not available Wednesday night.
Carter, 13, brother of Backstreet Boy Nick Carter, performed after his sister Leslie Carter and the A*Teens opened the show at 6:30 p.m.
Throughout the entire concert, a steady stream of exhausted fans were taken to a nearby parking lot to be treated.
"I felt like I was being suffocated," said Lauren Isaacs, 14, of Wilmington, who attended the concert with friends. "I almost passed out."
Isaacs did not need medical treatment, but one of her friends did, she said.
D.C. Medical Enterprises treated victims of the heat starting at 2 p.m. while fans were waiting in line, Martin said.
At 8:30 p.m., medical personnel were overwhelmed when two seriously ill people needed to be hospitalized and several other people needed treatment, Martin said.
One woman, who was pregnant, began having cramps and was rushed to the hospital, officials said.
At that point, the Wilmington Fire Department, New Castle County paramedics and other personnel were called in.
"We thought something like this could happen," said Joseph Kalinowski, Wilmington Fire Department battalion chief.
Wilmington Fire Chief Clifton Armstead said the situation never reached the point where he considered shutting down the show.
"If we stopped it, there would have been a riot," Armstead said.
Mark Green and his 8-year-old daughter Paige, both of Hockessin, attended the show and drank plenty of liquids during the more than three-hour-long show.
"They were squirting everyone with hoses and water guns, so it was OK," Green said.
Martin and the other workers with D.C. Medical Enterprises also service the Wilmington Blue Rocks, which had a night game at the same time.
A few baseball fans were overcome with heat as well Wednesday night.
Reach Ryan Cormier at 324-2771 or rcormier@delawareonline.com.
