Tragedies happen.
Whether they happen at a professional football or baseball game, music concert or at The Wayne County Fair, sometimes something happens that is unfortunate and tragic.
The death of Nicole Phillips, an 18 year old from Lake Ariel, definitely is a loss that is incomprehensible.
The death of anybody at an event that is supposed to bring such joy and happiness overshadows what is supposed to showcase everything great about the people of Wayne County.
But her death shouldn’t cast a dark shadow over what everyone will deem a very successful year at the Fair, according to attendance figures for the Fair’s first six days.
This is an event that’s bringing more than 9,000 people through the gates each day, with reports of more than 8,000 patrons over last year’s tally.
For 10 straight days, The Wayne County Fairgrounds in Dyberry Township is basically transformed into a mini-city with the Wayne County Fair’s arrival.
It’s difficult for any agency to police a “city” — whether it be for a week, month or an eternity.
For 148 years, though, The Wayne County Fair has taken place with few incidents.
Fair organizers have gone through great pains over the years to ensure the safety and health of its patrons. Phillips’ death is tragic, but it’s one of those things that can happen at any event, no matter the security and safety measures that are in place.
It’s a horrible tragedy, one of many that unfortunately happen throughout the country on any given day at any given event.
Throughout the Commonwealth, you don’t really hear about incidents at county fairs.
The incidents usually happen at fly-by-night carnivals that set up shop one day and are gone the next.
A family lost a loved one. That shouldn’t be forgotten.
A dark shadow should not be cast over this Fair.
Fingers should not be pointed at fair officials. Reports indicate that everything possible was done to assist Phillips.
As Fair President Roger Dirlam stated, the Fair has some of the top emergency and security personnel on scene. The Fair patrols its own Fairgrounds. It has its own governors and governing body. It provides its own policing.
And the Fair has a track record of success in providing people with a good time free of incident or injury.
At this time, we do not know what caused Phillips’ death. At this time, we do not know the whole story about what caused such a young girl with so much promise to die.
Medical reports are inconclusive at this stage.
Maybe Fair officials will try to find a way to get better cell phone access on the fairgrounds as one patron suggested in a letter to the Wayne County Fair Board.
Maybe measures will be reviewed once again just to protect against a mishap next year.
That might be hard to avoid, as it would at any event.
What we do know is that the Wayne County Fair should always remain a positive experience.
