Kern County officials provide safety measures for 'Lightning in a Bottle' festival
Bakersfield, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — UPDATED: May 24, 2023 (10:22 p.m.)
As the summer is off to a kick start, so are the festivals.
A big one in Kern County is to take place from May 24 through 29, known as “Lightning in a Bottle."
Electric music lovers gather at Buena Vista Lake to experience beyond any ordinary music.
People who attend outdoor events should be more careful when it comes to protecting their health.
Dr. Puja Vithalani from Kaiser Permanente said that people tend to drink more alcohol at outdoor festivals, and it may do more bad than good.
[RELATED]
“So alcohol is a beverage, but it's also something that dehydrates you,” says Dr. Vithalani.
“I always tell people whenever you do drink, any glass of drink and alcoholic drink that you drink, make sure to drink two glasses of water to replace that because you are gonna be losing more fluid when drinking.”
Dr. Vithalani mentioned that applying a lot of sunscreen every two hours is also important to avoid skin damage.
Many people get rushed to the hospital from consuming too much sun, lack of water intake, or other health risks.
Just last year at this festival, two people were announced dead.
According to Kern County Fire, the deaths were due to an "acute medical emergency.”
Park Rangers said that this year, the security team will be stronger.
The county told Eyewitness News that four extra boats will guard the lake for water rescue needs.
Organizers of Lightning in a Bottle sent a statement saying there will be:
- Increased medical presence
- Increased access to drinking water
- Close coordination with county agencies including Kern County Fire Department, Kern County EMS, EHP, law enforcement, ABC, and county public health services.
Hall Ambulance Service will be on-site for the duration of the event.
“I think the majority of people who come in from festivals are due to the heat. They’re definitely important signs that your body is giving you to tell you to take a break, get those fluids in, seek medical attention in order to not get to the point where it turns into a heat stroke and you have to get hospitalized,” said Dr. Vithalani.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lightning in a Bottle tickets are now on sale on their website and the event will be held at Buena Vista Lake.
What organizers are calling a community campout begins Wednesday (today) and runs until May 29.
Anyone under 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or court-appointed legal guardian.
LiB was held at the lake last year. Two people died at the event last year.
According to the Kern County Fire Department, their deaths were due to "acute medical emergencies."
There were approximately 27,000 participants at the festival, including attendees, vendors, and workers.
