Drugs Impact N.Y. Music Festival

July 16--DUANESBURG -- Dozens of Camp Bisco revelers were transported to area hospitals over the weekend.

At least 50 patients were taken to Ellis Hospital and St. Mary's Hospital in Amsterdam. Of the 28 who ended up at Amsterdam, the vast majority were admitted for drug overdoses, said Patricia Green, director of emergency services. She said one patient ended up on a ventilator but has since recovered and was released. Patients were on heroin, LSD or Ecstasy when they arrived, she said.

Twenty-two patients were transported to the emergency room at Ellis Hospital, spokesman Matthew Van Pelt said. Half were for drug- and alcohol-related reasons, including one person who was still in the intensive care unit on Monday, he said. One patient was placed on a ventilator. Some patients were transported to the hospital for sprains and cuts.

The festival, which is hosted by the Philadelphia-based Disco Biscuits band, is one of the world's most popular electronic music gatherings. Authorities are kept out of a 200-acre sprawling property that is patrolled by a security force of bikers associated with the Indian Lookout Country Club in Mariaville.

Organizers claimed the festival was safer than last year, when a similar number of people were admitted to area hospitals, including at least five of whom ended up on ventilators at Ellis. It's hard to pin down exactly how many people attend because organizers do not release official attendance counts, but promoters have previously claimed that it's about 20,000.

The 2013 medical facilities and staff were upgraded to include paramedics, a physician and EMTs on site, as well as five satellite medical tents scattered throughout the grounds and two main emergency health care facilities. Much of that response is what is required to obtain a state mass gathering permit for a crowd larger than 15,000.

Still, the increased medical response did little to lower the overall number of people sent to area hospitals. A similar number of people were transported to area hospitals during the 2012 festival, including a Schenectady woman who is paralyzed and unable to communicate after she consumed alcohol and Ecstasy. Her family is suing the festival organizers and Schenectady County, claiming she did not receive adequate medical attention.

State Police made at least 10 drug-related arrests of Camp Bisco concertgoers from Wednesday through the weekend, including one man who allegedly left his two young sons alone in a Schenectady hotel with pot and hashish while he went to sell more drugs at the concert.

Two concertgoers were arrested on drug possession charges Sunday on their way back from the music festival. One of them allegedly acted strangely when police approached, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office said. Christopher Broems, 23, was acting "strange and confused" when he was pulled over Sunday morning on Route 30, the sheriff's office said. Broems then started to throw things around inside his car, the sheriff's office said.

Deputies said they could see drugs inside the car. When they searched the vehicle, deputies said, they found large quantities of MDMA, psychedelic mushrooms, pot, empty capsules and tools used to fill the capsules, the sheriff's office said. Broems and his passenger, Brittany Mahler, 22, both of Merrick, were each charged with felony criminal possession of a controlled substance and marijuana. Both were arraigned in Florida Town Court and sent to Montgomery County jail after failing to post bail.

Montgomery County Undersheriff Jeffrey Smith said his department made a handful of minor arrests related to the festival.

Two Syracuse residents, Victoria Thayer, 21 , and Damian Arney 21, were issued appearance tickets for alleged marijuana possession, State Police said. Thayer was stopped while driving in the town of Fonda and was charged with driving while ability impaired, police said.

swaldman@timesunion.com, 518-454-5080, @518Schools

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