Four injured at harvest festival in Recz after sudden wind gusts collapse tents

Sudden storm disrupts municipal harvest celebration

A municipal harvest festival in the north-western Polish town of Recz ended abruptly on Saturday afternoon when sudden wind gusts struck the town park. Shortly before 17:00, strong gusts broke heavy tree branches and tore festival tents from their ground anchors in Park Miejski. Organisers and local residents gathered for the traditional harvest event (dożynki gminne) in Choszczno County were caught without warning by the weather shift. Large tree limbs crashed directly onto a gathering tent sheltering visitors, while airborne debris struck others standing in the open. Four people sustained injuries during the incident, with one attendee suffering life-threatening trauma that required immediate emergency resuscitation.

Emergency rescue and hospitalisations

The most severely injured participant was a 44-year-old man who was standing outside the main tent when the squall struck. A falling tree branch or an uprooted structure hit him directly, causing sudden cardiac arrest on the festival grounds. Medical responders carried out cardiopulmonary resuscitation on site, restoring his vital signs before an air ambulance from the Polish Medical Air Rescue (LPR) flew him to a hospital in Szczecin. Three other festival participants suffered less severe trauma, mainly consisting of head injuries and skin abrasions. A 57-year-old woman was transported by road ambulance to a hospital in Stargard, while a 72-year-old man was taken to a hospital in Choszczno. A fourth injured participant arrived at the Choszczno medical facility independently to seek examination.

A 44-year-old man who was outside the tent suffered severe injuries. He was resuscitated at the scene. He was transported to a hospital in Szczecin by a Polish Medical Air Rescue helicopter.

Site secured for safety and prosecutorial inquiry

Police officers and emergency crews cordoned off the entire festival area in Park Miejski to exclude bystanders and preserve the scene. Three State Fire Service crews worked alongside paramedics and police officers to secure the perimeter and clear hazardous debris. Officers from the District Police Command in Choszczno launched an investigation under the direct supervision of the prosecutor. Investigators are examining whether festival organisers complied with all municipal safety requirements when setting up the tents and temporary event infrastructure. The municipal park remained closed to the public through Saturday evening while forensic and safety inspections proceeded.

This person suffered cardiac arrest. After resuscitation, his vital functions were restored, and an air ambulance helicopter took the victim to the hospital.

Regional weather conditions and emergency response

The local accident took place amid broad weather instability across West Pomerania and neighbouring regions. Between 08:00 and 16:00 on Saturday, regional fire service units in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship attended 38 callouts involving wind damage and fallen trees. Poland's Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW) had issued first-degree convective storm warnings across multiple voivodeships for the day. Local emergency officials noted that no specific meteorological warnings had been active for Recz prior to the sudden gusts that struck the park. Following the incident, municipal authorities formally shut down all remaining harvest festival activities scheduled for the weekend.