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‘It’s like a death trap’: Phish fans speak out after San Francisco's Chase Center falling tragedy - SF Gate
Oct 20, 2021 1 min, 45 secs
An exterior view of the Chase Center.

It was the first of the two nights the prolific jam band Phish was performing at the Chase Center in San Francisco, and she had tickets to both nights with her nephew.

“We were in the uppers, in [the] first row, and we sat down in our seats and sort of stood up to look around and I got vertigo,” Babuka, who is 5-foot-3 and 56, told SFGATE in a call Tuesday, “because the barriers are below, way below, waist height.

(San Francisco police spokesman Robert Rueca told SFGATE Tuesday evening that their investigation "has evidence to believe" the person who died from their fall leapt from the upper rungs of Chase Center. No foul play is believed to be involved.).

"We extend our heartfelt condolences to the guest’s loved ones," Chase Center spokeswoman Kimberly Veale told SFGATE in a statement.

But following the falling death of a concertgoer identified as 47-year-old New York resident Ryan Prosser at Sunday’s Phish show — and at least two injuries in the second fall — some fans who were in attendance at the concert are urging the Chase Center to make the venue safer for future concertgoers.

Babuka witnessed the second fall that night; she and many others at the venue were not aware of the first one, at least until after the show.

And during a set break, just as Babuka and Fitzsimmons began settling in, they both caught glimpses of the fall.

“It was just a really sickening thud,” said Babuka.

that wouldn't be in the audience's way is putting a safety net just below that rail all the way around … maybe six feet out.”

While Babuka admits herself that she has little knowledge of what official safety regulations require of major arenas like Chase Center, she thinks that its owners should increase the size of the Plexiglas barriers in the upper areas of the venue

Both, ultimately, just wish that Chase Center modified the space to protect concertgoers in the higher seats

“I would really hate to see somebody else fall and be injured like that,” Fitzsimmons said

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