BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — What was supposed to be a night of music and dancing turned into a night of confusion for concertgoers at Boots in the Park show Friday night.
Psychologist Dr. Corey Gonzales joined 17 News at Noon to talk about what the mind goes through during a crowd panic at large events and how you can stay safe under high stress situations.
According to Dr. Gonzales, when you go to a large gathering it’s a good idea to do a little reconnaissance, look around and see where the nearest exit is located. If something were to happen, collect yourself, take a deep breath and come up with a plan on where to go.
“Don’t just react. When we go into fight or flight [mode] we actually lose some of our cognitive abilities. In fact we can lose 30 points of IQ, things get distorted, and we beave in ways we normally don’t behave cause we all want to flee and get out of there,” said Dr. Gonzales.
While the Boots in the Park concert was not anywhere near as tragic 2017’s Route 91 tragedy in Las Vegas, there is still a lot of fear and panic festival goers experienced at the Kern County Fairgrounds during the sudden mass evacuation.
Watch the full video for more tips.
