Security Guard Injured After Being Trampled at Ultra Music Festival: Officials

Ultra Music Fest is underway and police have already reported several arrests and injuries.

A female security guard was trampled at Ultra Music Festival, according to Miami Fire Rescue.

Officials said the 28-year-old event worker, who has not been identified, is at Jackson Memorial Hospital in serious critical condition with head trauma and a broken leg.

The woman was injured sometime between 8 and 9 p.m. when a large group of people outside the festival tried to push over a fence at Southeast 1st Street and Biscayne Boulevard, Fire Rescue spokesman Iggy Carroll said.

"A mob of people came to a fenced in area where they saw an opportunity to try to push it over," he said. "Numerous amounts of people, we don't know the exact number, was able to push it on top of her and began trampling her just to get into the Ultra Fest."

The fence fell on the security guard who was likely trying to stop the people from getting in. Police said they believe a Good Samaritan was able to stop the people from trampling the security guard help get the fence off her.

The festival began Friday and police have already reported several arrests and injuries.

On day one of the electronic music dance festival 22 people were arrested, according to Miami Police.

Of those arrests, 15 were felonies and six were misdemeanors, police said. Authorities did not specify the nature of the arrests.

Police also reported 48 rescue runs and one traffic incident Friday.

Last year, Miami Police reported a total of 167 arrests over two weekends: 81 on the first weekend and 86 on the second weekend. The arrests ranged from disorderly conduct to narcotics. This year's festival is back to a one-weekend run.

The festival, which takes place in downtown Miami, attracts thousands of visitors from all over the world. Organizers expect a daily attendance of 50,000 to 60,000 festivalgoers this year.

But after Friday's incident, city officials want Ultra to find a new location.

"This is not a business that serves the community well," said Miami City Commissioner Marc Sarnoff in a phone interview. "It is time for Ultra to go away. We have always talked about people getting trampled and now it happened."

For festivalgoer Cain Mosby, revelers just need to learn some respect.

"If you're going to come here, at least come here respectful," Mosby said. "If you're not going to be respectful, there's no point in coming here."

The influx of people also creates major traffic delays in the downtown area each year. Most of Biscayne Boulevard will be blocked through the weekend, with traffic being rerouted west at Northeast 4th Street to Northeast 2nd Avenue. Northbound traffic along Biscayne Boulevard will be reduced to two lanes shifted to southbound lanes at Southeast 1st Street.

Ultra is in its 16th year and is considered the world's premiere electronic music festival.

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