A former Ireland’s Got Talent contestant last night told of his brush with death after taking drugs at a festival.
As nearly 60,000 music fans prepare to flock to Electric Picnic today, Brandon Webb revealed he ended up in a coma after experimenting at last year’s event.
The 20-year-old’s careless decision to take the mind-bending drug left him with a minor stroke and suffering 300 seizures.
The barman, from Kildare town, is urging revellers to steer clear of drugs over the weekend-long music festival in Co Laois – particularly following the recent drug-related deaths of two teenagers in Co Tipperary.
Brandon came into the public eye when appearing on the Virgin Media talent show in February and was enjoying the famous Stradbally experience with friends when, after a few drinks, he decided to take MDMA.
Speaking days after festival organisers announced a massive clampdown on drugs, Brandon told Dublin Live: “I was just drinking, it was the Sunday of the festival.
“I’d never done any drug before but as I drank more I let my guard down. I took MDMA and it all went down hill from there.
“I suffered a minor stroke and was rushed to Naas Hospital.
“My mam got a call that morning at 4am and rushed over, she thought it was a joke at first.
“Before the festival she would always say, ‘If you ever take something you’ll be the one that something happens to’ and unfortunately something happened to me.
“I had over 300 seizures in an hour and ended up on life support, they put me into an induced coma on the Monday morning and told my mum and dad to say their goodbyes.
“I woke up on the Tuesday and had a seizure straight away so they put me back under again. For the second time they told my parents to say their goodbyes.
“I woke up the following Friday and the seizures had stopped. I was released from the hospital two weeks later.”
Today Brandon shared with Dublin Live readers the horrific image of him lying in hospital, battling for life.
He warned: “This weekend last year changed my life for ever.
“I made a mistake and instantly regretted it, what I put my mum, my dad, my little brother and sister and my whole family through was terrible.
“Be careful and say no, you don’t want to go through what I did. My advice would be beware of who you’re with and who you’re around and who your so called friends are.
“A friend doesn’t try and push drugs on to you. I’ll never tell anyone not to do it because I’ve done it myself but if you do, don’t be stupid, have your wits about you and make sure you are with people you trust.”
Electric Picnic organisers enforced a major clampdown on drugs this year following a spate of deaths at festivals here and in the UK.
Promoters have warned everyone attending the event will be searched for illegal substances.
The zero-tolerance stance comes after drugs claimed two young men in Co Tipperary – Jack Downey, who died after ingesting a substance at a music festival in Co Cork earlier this month, and John Ryan, who died after a house party in May.
His mum Patricia said earlier this month: “We don’t want another family to go through what we’ve been through. People must not let the use of drugs be normalised. We don’t want John’s death to be in vain.”
Speaking at Stradbally Hall earlier this week, Electric Picnic boss Melvin Benn added: “We will work closely with the Garda. The searching will be rigorous. Drugs are illegal for a specific reason – principally because they are dangerous.”
