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![\"MIKAELA](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/3431485_web1_250710-Folk-Fest-1321.jpg\")
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MIKAELA MACKENZIE \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
The festival reported a record-breaking attendance of more than 79,000 people at the four-day event, with a daily front-of-house capacity of roughly 15,000 people.<\/p>\n
A lifelong asthma sufferer, she felt no symptoms prior to around 8 p.m. and suspects the attack was triggered by poor air quality owing to wildfire smoke, which had begun to worsen overnight Thursday and prompted Environment Canada to issue air quality warnings for Manitoba.<\/p>\n
Martin used her Ventolin inhaler but felt no relief and was escorted to the first aid tent, where she recalls being assessed by volunteers but was alarmed to learn there was no supplemental oxygen or advanced respiratory support available.<\/p>\n
She lost consciousness before an ambulance arrived and woke up at Selkirk Regional Health Centre, located roughly 25 kilometres north of the park.<\/p>\n
Martin learned her oxygen saturation levels had dropped dangerously low by the time paramedics arrived, reportedly 25 minutes after 911 was called.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m still shocked at the fact they don\u2019t have an ambulance at least on the perimeter of the park for a festival of this calibre,\u201d said the avid folk fester, who\u2019s been attending for the past 15 years. \u201cI thought that if I was ever having an emergency that I would be able to receive timely care at folk fest.\u201d<\/p>\n
The festival reported a record-breaking attendance of more than 79,000 people at the four-day event, with a daily front-of-house capacity of roughly 15,000 people.<\/p>\n
There were two first aid tents stationed at the festival site and campground staffed by a volunteer crew of medical professionals and skilled first aiders, the organization\u2019s website says.<\/p>\n
The festival offers standard first aid care, said festival executive director Valerie Shantz via email \u2014 a certification that includes training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation training and minor injury care.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile first aid is generally sufficient for the types of incidents we see at folk fest, when patrons need a higher level of medical care, we call in local EMS services to provide care,\u201d Shantz said, adding oxygen is beyond the scope of standard first aid.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Freya Martin with her daughter at a past folk festival. (Supplied)<\/p>\n When asked this week if there were any medical emergencies that required an ambulance, festival staff didn\u2019t disclose the July 10 EMS visit involving Martin.<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\tDish<\/p>\n Every Second Friday<\/p>\n The latest on food and drink in Winnipeg and beyond from arts writers Ben Sigurdson and Eva Wasney.<\/p>\n \t\t\tSign up for Dish<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t The incident has left Martin shaken. It took a week to physically recover from the asthma attack and she\u2019s since reached out to the festival with her concerns.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like I have to do my due diligence and follow up and see if it\u2019s possible to make changes for next time. I would love to go to folk fest (again) but I\u2019m obviously feeling sort of traumatized,\u201d Martin said.<\/p>\n She hopes the festival will review its emergency medical policies, specifically for high-acuity cases, prior to the 2026 event. She hopes supplemental oxygen and paramedics will be available at the festival in the future.<\/p>\n Shantz said the organization reviews all incident reports annually \u201cto assess whether adjustments to our practices are needed. This will occur this year as well.\u201d<\/p>\n eva.wasney@winnipegfreepress.com<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Eva Wasney Eva Wasney has been a reporter with the Free Press Arts & Life department since 2019. Read more about Eva<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Eva produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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