{Lauderhill Fire Rescue}
By Ryan Yousefi
Multiple festival-goers at the annual J’ouvert Festival in Lauderhill experienced heat exhaustion on Saturday, prompting emergency response efforts from local officials.
According to multiple reports, eventgoers began falling ill around 2 p.m., which promoted a response by Lauderhill Fire Rescue, which started to treat numerous individuals showing signs of heat exhaustion, potentially exacerbated by alcohol consumption, according to Broward County Regional Communications’ dispatch.
Paramedics and police had already been stationed at the festival to ensure attendees’ safety, but the rising number of people falling ill posed a significant challenge. The J’ouvert Festival, a celebration of Caribbean culture, taking place this year at Central Broward Regional Park, reportedly experienced a larger crowd, partially attributed to the issues.
As of Saturday night, over 50 individuals were evaluated by paramedics, with 23 of them requiring hospitalization.
Those needing medical attention were transported to nearby healthcare facilities, including Florida Medical Center, Broward Health Medical Center, Westside Regional Free Standing Emergency Room, and Westside Regional Hospital.
Despite South Florida not being under official heat advisories or warnings, the heat index at the time of the incident was hovering around 95 degrees, with daytime temperatures reaching 90 degrees.
The J’ouvert Festival is part of the more extensive Miami Carnival series of festivities celebrating Caribbean culture.
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