Jess Hardiman
A shocking photo shows a festivalgoer who had collapsed after puffing on a vape she’d been offered by a stranger.
The woman’s girlfriend Natasha Ward posted about the incident on Facebook, explaining that they had been at the Isle of Wight Festival on Saturday 17 June.
She said her girlfriend Chloe Hammerton was approached by a man in a queue for food, who offered her his vape.
Within ‘a minute’, she had collapsed and was unable to move or speak, drifting in and out of consciousness.
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Posting a photo of the stranger, and an image of Chloe in a heap on the floor, Natasha wrote: “Saturday into Sunday was truly one of the worst 24 hours of my life due to someone spiking/drugging, and nearly killing, my girlfriend at the Isle of Wight festival on Saturday afternoon/evening.
“Having approached Chloe and Chloe’s brother, Will, in one of the food queues he was encouraging Chloe to try some of his vape. Chloe doesn’t vape or smoke, and has never done drugs in her life, but was duped into taking a puff in this situation. Within a minute, she was in and out of consciousness, unable to speak or move any part of her body and fitting with her pupils constricting to pinpoints and then dilating to 7’s.”
Suspecting Chloe had been spiked, she said she wanted to share the story not only to find the stranger from the queue, but also to raise awareness of ‘spiking through vapes’ - something she and her friends had ‘never heard of’.
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“I also want to highlight the death sentence the festival organisers, security, ‘welfare team’ and medic almost gave Chloe from the total incompetence and lack of urgency which led to us waiting over an hour for ANY ‘medical response’ and over TWO HOURS for any ADEQUATE medical response,” Natasha continued.
“I have never experienced anything like it and you would think that an event of this scale and prominence would have the correct procedures and resources to be able to react promptly in these situations to keep people safe.
“If it doesn’t, which it CLEARLY doesn’t, then what on earth are they doing holding the event in the first place. This should be the number one priority above everything else. It is appalling.”
Natasha added that Chloe is an Emergency Care Assistant and works in the ambulance service saving other people’s lives every day, saying: “She’s working towards being a fully qualified paramedic. And when she was in danger herself she was let down.”
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She said if it wasn’t for an ‘incredible nurse in the crowd’, and her ‘amazing student nurse sister-in-law' Sophie for helping Chloe, they would be in a totally different situation.
Natasha, who said a day tickets cost their group of four £100 each, claimed ‘many people’ have said they weren’t searched upon entry to the festival.
She went on: “I wouldn’t wish what we went through on Saturday on ANYBODY. To be begging, screaming for help for a family member/the person you love… For hours! Whilst they’re laying on the floor terrified and unconscious in front of you and thousands of people.”
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Natasha added: “She was left to die by the IOW Festival and they probably won’t even care because she didn’t, so it won’t effect their insurance or profits, but for anyone attending in future, please understand if you experience a medical emergency on their site you cannot rely on getting the help you need.”
Speaking to Tyla and sister site LADbible, Natasha said she wasn't able to add further comment at this time as the matter was being investigated.
In her post, she said she had issued 'formal complaints' to a number of bodies, including the festival and police.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary have also released a statement on the matter, saying: "We are investigating following a report of a woman becoming unwell after using a vape at the Isle of Wight Festival.
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"It has been reported that on the evening of Saturday, 17 June a 26-year-old woman was offered a vape by a man while at the festival. After using a small amount of the vape she became unwell and required medical assistance."
The police also said that a medical professional was on site with Chloe in five minutes and said that it was an isolated incident.
"The matter is under investigation," the statement adds. "Officers are in contact with the woman and will be carrying out drugs testing to help further the investigation."