Prayers Urged For Injured Concert Goers
Apr 28th, 2008
Members of Starfield are still in shock after the floor collapsed at a concert in their hometown of Abbotsford, BC on Friday, April 25, sending more than 40 people to hospital and leaving one person critically injured. It was only the second date on the Christian rock band’s three-week Canadian tour spanning from Victoria, BC to Montreal, QC. Starfield had just begun their second song. Hundreds among the near capacity crowd of 1,200 at Central Heights Church crowded in front of the stage, jumping to the music. Suddenly lead singer Tim Neufeld yelled out at the crowd to “Stop! Stop!” But it was too late. Two towers holding lighting and sound equipment began to topple onto the audience. As this was happening, a section of the floor measuring about 24 feet by 24 feet gave way plunging 70 concert goers almost five metres down into an unfinished basement. With the people followed pews and debris combined with water showering from broken pipes. A total of 44 people were taken to hospital, including one person with a compound hand fracture and another with a broken leg. But prayers are especially sought for a 41-year-old woman who was attending the concert with her daughter and remains in critical condition at the Vancouver General Hospital. Suffering serious neck and head injuries, she immediately underwent about eight hours of surgery and is feared may end up a quadriplegic. “I hope to never see anything like that again in my entire life,” said GMA Canada board chairman Harold Wiens. When the incident happened, Wiens had just come from the back stage where he had been talking with Starfield’s Tim and Jon Neufeld prior to them starting their set. “I thought for sure 20-30 people were dead,” Wiens recalled in horror. “I ran down into the basement to help pull people out of the debris, thinking that I wasn’t sure I wanted to see what I was going to see. Thankfully, no one was killed…actually, it’s a miracle. I met Jon and Tim in the basement. Tim jumped into the hole and started pulling people out.” On Starfield’s website, http://www.starfieldonline.com, they have posted a noticed stating, “At this moment, we are consumed with concern and compassion for those who were injured, especially for those described to be in serious condition. Our hearts are with them. We ask that you join us in prayer for them. As a less important side note, none of the members of our tour were injured in the accident. The band would like to thank everyone for the outpouring of encouragement and support that we are receiving.” The tour headlining Starfield also includes Nashville recording artists Bethany Dillon and Shane & Shane, along with youth speaker David Nasser. It is being put on by the Ontario-based Unite Productions, winners of the GMA Canada industry award in 2007 for Promoter of the Year. Counselling and follow-up for the tour is being handled by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Meanwhile, Canada Fire and the Canadian Bible Society have partnered to give out copies of the New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs at each of the tour stops. A concert booked the following evening in Burnaby was postponed and today’s Red Deer concert was cancelled, but the show was held as scheduled in Kelowna on Sunday night. Concerts in Edmonton on Tuesday and Calgary on Wednesday are reportedly going ahead. Interviewed by the Globe & Mail, 17-year-old Stephanie Swanepoel said that just before the accident occurred, “I remember thinking, ‘I don’t think the floor is supposed to be bending like this.’ ” Rescued by a schoolmate, Swanepoel estimated she was unconscious for about 10 seconds after falling into the basement. Meanwhile, 42-year-old Christian bookstore employee Rob Nieman told the Associated Press, “It was like a pile of wreckage, bodies laying everywhere, people running and scattering.” Recalling his days touring with Arlen Salte, Wiens of GMA Canada said, “I have been at many shows where the floor would shake. I thought back then that something like this could happen, but I guess you push it out of your mind.” While the investigation into the cause of the accident is ongoing, it is believed that it may take many months to repair the church floor. On Sunday, Central Heights Church held its services at Columbia Bible College. Senior pastor Chris Douglas delivered a sermon to the 1,500 people in attendance on dealing with hard times. “I don’t know why this happened,” he said. “We are going to have adversity in this lifetime. This world is not perfect. There are going to be things like this that happen.” Prior to the beginning of the tour, Starfield’s Tim Neufeld talked with Kevin Pollard of B.C. Christian News. “Our first love is for Canada, and we are excited about bringing this tour to Canada,” Neufeld said. “This is the most ambitious tour we’ve ever embarked on, bringing more sound and lighting than ever before.” In the aftermath of the tragedy, continued prayer is being sought for the woman with critical injuries, along with her family, and others who were hurt or traumatized at the concert. Prayer is also requested for Paul Kelly of Unite Productions and all those still on tour including the various artists, musicians and crew members.