WEST SUSSEX — Organisers of the Big Church Festival have said they are devastated after a falling sign killed one man and injured six other people at the event in West Sussex.
Sussex Police said officers were called to Wiston Park, near Steyning, at about 15:38 BST on Friday. A 41-year-old man from Eastbourne in East Sussex later died from his injuries.
The festival, which says it is the UK’s biggest Christian gathering, had begun on Friday and was due to run until Sunday. Organisers instead cancelled the rest of the weekend after the incident.
The Archbishop of Canterbury said she was sad and shocked to hear of the fatal incident and sent prayers for the man’s family, those injured and the people responding to the emergency.
Ambulance crews treat six injured festival-goers after the sign falls
South East Coast Ambulance Service said four of the six injured people were taken to local hospitals for further treatment. Two of those casualties had serious injuries.
Organisers said they were working with emergency services, police and the Health and Safety Executive as investigators established the circumstances surrounding the incident. Sussex Police also said the local authority had been informed.
Police have asked anyone with information about what happened to come forward. No explanation has yet been given for why the sign fell, and officials have not said whether the structure had already been inspected before the event began.
The festival was founded in 2009 and draws large crowds for worship, music and other Christian activities. Its sudden cancellation left many attendees, staff and volunteers trying to understand what had happened as the site was cleared.
Witnesses describe confusion and attempts to give first aid at the site
Several people at the festival described scenes of shock after the sign came down. Author Andrew Ollerton said he and his wife were walking a few paces behind the people struck and rushed to help lift the sign before giving first aid until paramedics arrived.
Judah Martin, from Kent, said vehicles sped towards the area and campers were told to return to their tents immediately. He said people were unable to get online, so news of the serious injuries spread by word of mouth.
Rayanne Walters, who had been celebrating her birthday at the festival before heading back to London on Saturday, said crying could be heard through the night as people tried to process what had happened.
Jessica Schuffenhauer, who travelled from Leipzig in Germany, said attendees were united afterwards as they sang and prayed together.
Local churches and charities step in after the festival is shut down
The Reverend James Di Castiglione, rector of the parish of Chanctonbury, said the incident had been a huge shock locally. He said the festival is usually a time of joy and unity, which made the news feel like emotional whiplash for many people nearby.
The Salvation Army in Hove opened its hall on Friday for anyone unable to get home after the cancellation. Martin Bellshaw, from the Hove branch, said about 20 people from Bristol and the north-west of England stayed there overnight.
Christian parent support charity ParentFuel said everyone from its team at the festival was safe. It praised the Big Church Festival team for how they handled the emergency and described the incident as a freak accident.
The charity said the events of the weekend had brought home how precious and short life can be, while police continued to appeal for information and safety officials examined what went wrong.
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