Saturday night's festivity at the Kendall County Fair turned into an emergency situation when a section of the bleacher seating collapsed, leaving multiple people injured and the remainder of the fair night cancelled. As per mysanantonio.com, local first responders were called to the fairgrounds around 9:17 p.m. on August 31. They found that twelve individuals had been wounded in the incident.
Eight of the victims were promptly hospitalized, while four received on-site medical attention. Assistant Fire Chief Walter Ball of the City of Boerne Fire Department confirmed the nature of the injuries, stating that one individual suffered severe injuries but was in stable condition. Displaying commendable community spirit, fairgoers, including a veteran, helped those affected by the collapse. Kyle Szuck, who witnessed the collapse, instinctively rushed over to lend aid, as reported by KENS 5.
The emergency was confirmed by a post on Facebook from the Kendall County Office of Emergency Management, which identified the collapse as part of the new stadium. The City of Boerne's communications director, Chris Shadrock, said that the collapse led to the shut down of the fair for the night. Meanwhile, attendees like April Cleghorn expressed their alarm to KENS 5, "It was very nerve-racking, very scary." Cleghorn was there with her fiancé, witnessing the entire episode unfold.
As the investigation into the cause of the bleacher collapse is ongoing, City of Boerne officials have announced crews will inspect the rodeo grounds before any decision on the continuation of the fair is made. Images and video of the aftermath circulated on social media, with bystanders seen supporting what remained of the bleachers to help people escape the collapse. Details of what caused the structure to give way are yet to be revealed.
