Five Merrimack Students Collapse During Ceremony

The Merrimack High School marching band was scheduled to perform the "National Emblem March" and "Stars and Stripes Forever"  at the dedication ceremony and ribbon cutting for the new airport access highway linking the F.E. Everett Turnpike and Route 3 in Bedford to the Manchester-Boston Regional Airport.

The band played the first, but not the latter after a handful of students collapsed while standing at attention during the ceremony.

There were no significant injuries reported, though five band members were treated with water or a hydrating IV, and three left in ambulances as an apparent precaution.

According to the Union Leader, "air tests showed no toxicity and not all the students who fainted had either arrived on the same bus or eaten breakfast together."