University student Ana Clara Benevides Machado, 23, died of “cardiorespiratory arrest,” according to Rio de Janeiro’s Municipal Health Department; The American singer performed her first show in Brazil at the Nilton Santos stadium in Engenhão, in front of an audience of around 60 thousand people.
The death of a young woman at Taylor Swift’s concert in Rio de Janeiro this Friday (11/17) has left the American singer’s legion of fans in shock.
She was identified as university student Ana Clara Benevides Machado, 23 years old, who was studying psychology at the Federal University of Rondonópolis (UFR), in Mato Grosso.
The young woman’s friends said she loved Taylor Swift and was fulfilling “a dream” by traveling to see the artist’s show.
Ana Clara fell ill inside the Nilton Santos Stadium, Engenhão, where Swift performed a show in front of an audience of around 60 thousand people.
It was the singer’s first performance in Brazil as part of her successful “Eras Tour”.
“In the second song she simply fainted. Then we took her out with the help of security guards and ran to the support post in the stadium. They assisted her and took her to the ambulance,” said Ana Clara’s friend to the G1 portal.
For now, the cause of the young woman’s death has not yet been clarified. Rio de Janeiro’s Municipal Health Department reported that Ana Clara suffered a cardiorespiratory arrest, but the Medico-Legal Institute (IML) has yet to certify what led to her death.
According to firefighters, the thermal sensation inside the stadium reached 60°C, with fans complaining to the event organizers for preventing public access with water bottles. Glasses of water were sold for R$8 on the spot.
Even those who were willing to buy drinks there complained on social media about the difficulty in obtaining them, due to the difficulty of moving around the space and the long queues.
Even Taylor Swift paused the show to ask her fans for help after noticing people feeling sick in the audience.
Firefighters said they assisted about 1,000 people who fainted due to the heat.
In a statement, T4F (organizer of the event) said that Ana Clara was “promptly assisted by the team of firefighters and paramedics” and then taken to the Salgado Filho hospital (read more below).
But what is cardiorespiratory arrest and how can heat cause it, sometimes leading to death?
Cardiorespiratory arrest occurs when the heart stops beating and the individual stops breathing.
“In this situation it is necessary to call for medical help immediately and, while waiting for treatment, cardiac massage must be started so that the heart starts beating again,” states the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) on its website.
According to Dr. Lucas Albanaz, general practitioner and coordinator of the medical clinic at the Santa Lúcia Gama Hospital, in Brasilia, dehydration caused by the heat can cause cardiorespiratory arrest due to an “overlap of factors” in young patients.
He underlines, however, that “young people are not among the most vulnerable to the risks of dehydration, which worries children and the elderly more”.
Albanaz reminds us that water intake (hydration) is important for our body, especially on days with high temperatures, like those we have had in recent days, especially in the South-East and Central-West regions of the country, due to the heat wave. .
“Water is important for cooling our body and is essential for a series of chemical reactions that take place. Its lack – dehydration – can trigger a compensatory reaction in our body, such as an increase in heart rate and breathing rate, causing the patient to lose weight, more water,” he explains to BBC News Brasil.
“This creates a vicious cycle that can lead to death,” he adds.
When a person is very dehydrated and has a very high body temperature, there is a risk of coma, seizures, serious neurological disorders and, in the most extreme cases, death.
It is worth remembering that dehydration can occur even without excessive exposure to the sun (heat stroke), as may have happened in the young woman’s case, since the show took place at night.
When this dehydration is mild, it can cause dry mouth, headaches, drowsiness, and tiredness.
However, when moderate and severe, the patient may experience very low blood pressure, excessive thirst, mental confusion, rapid breathing, difficulty maintaining neurological control, abnormally increased heart rate, and difficulty communicating.
Very severe dehydration can also lead to coma and even cardiorespiratory arrest.
According to experts, the most important thing is hydration, with the intake of two-three liters of water, to be distributed throughout the day.
Other recommendations are to avoid alcohol and caffeine, which contribute to dehydration, and to consume light, less spicy and more frequent meals.
Reactions
T4F (Time For Fun), organizer of Taylor Swift’s show, reported that as soon as she felt ill, Ana Clara was “promptly assisted” by the team of firefighters and paramedics. First aid was provided at the Nilton Santos Stadium medical station.
“Given the situation, the medical team chose to transfer him to the Salgado Filho hospital, where, after almost an hour of emergency treatment, he unfortunately died,” the company informed on its official account on X (formerly Twitter ).
— T4F (@t4f) November 18, 2023
The fire brigade said the company complied with all requirements relating to fire safety and anti-panic conditions.
“Medical incidents were the responsibility of producing the event,” the fire department informed.
Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes called Ana Clara’s death “unacceptable” and said the causes that led to her death were still under investigation.
Paes also ordered the adoption of measures to alleviate the population’s exposure to heat.
“I have already instructed the general director of operations of the municipality to demand measures with the production of the show. Now I can put forward the following measures which they should announce this morning: – advance the entrance by 1 am and occupy the circulation ring remove the public do sol – new water distribution points; – increase in the number of police – increase in ambulances”, said Paes.
From today, as established by the Consumer Secretariat of the Ministry of Justice, bottles of WATER for personal use, made of suitable material, will be able to enter the events. And companies that produce shows with high heat exposure must provide…
— Flavio Dino 🇧🇷 (@FlavioDino) November 18, 2023
The Minister of Justice, Flávio Dino, declared that starting from this Saturday (11/18) entry to shows will be permitted with bottles of water for personal use, packaged in suitable materials.
“From now (Saturday 11/18), as established by the Consumer Secretariat of the Ministry of Justice, bottles of WATER for personal use, made of suitable material, will be allowed to enter the events. And companies producing shows with high heat exposure must provide free drinking water in easily accessible “hydration islands.” The measure takes effect immediately,” Dino wrote on his personal account on X.
“The Ordinance will be drafted in a maximum of 1 hour. For details it will be published here. The National Consumer Secretariat will adopt the appropriate inspection measures, with the collaboration of the States and Municipalities, as well as the action of the Police Force, if necessary”, he added.
“Devastated” and “Heartbroken”
On her Instagram after the show, Taylor Swift said she was “devastated” by her fan’s death.
The singer said her heart was “broken”, adding: “She was incredibly beautiful and so young.”
“I can’t believe I’m writing these words, but it is with a broken heart that I say that we lost a fan before my show tonight,” Swift wrote.
“I can’t tell you how devastated I am about this.”
Swift said she would not be able to talk about the incident on stage because she felt “overwhelmed with grief” every time she tried to talk about it.
“I want to say that I now feel this loss deeply and that my broken heart goes out to his family and friends.”
He added that this was “the last thing” he thought would happen when he brought the tour to Brazil.
He also said he had little other information about Ana Clara’s death.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
