A “beautiful and intelligent” young woman died after taking MDMA at a music festival in a tragic accident, an inquest heard.

East Anglian Daily Times: Amy Vigus. Picture: FAMILY HANDOUT/PA WIREAmy Vigus. Picture: FAMILY HANDOUT/PA WIRE

Amy Vigus, 20, died after ingesting a pill containing the drug, also known as ecstasy, at the Elrow Town festival in London’s Olympic Park.

Her friends said she swallowed an “MD ball” which she had bought from a man at the event and collapsed hours later, Essex Coroner’s Court heard.

She made it back to her family home in Colchester, Essex, where her parents tried to resuscitate her before she was taken to hospital. She fell into a coma and died in Colchester Hospital’s intensive care unit on August 21.

A post-mortem examination found she died from a hypoxic brain injury caused by the toxic effects of MDMA, the inquest heard.

Coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray today recorded that Miss Vigus died as the result of an accident.

“What a tragic accident,” she said.

“She went off in probably an excellent mood with her friends for a happy day at the festival and it ended like that.”

The hearing was packed with Miss Vigus’s relatives and friends, including her parents, sister and boyfriend.

Many of them wept as parts of a family tribute statement were read out. It described Miss Vigus as “always up for a challenge” and someone who “lived life to the full” and had a passion for helping others, including a charity skydive.

“Amy was beautiful, intelligent, honest, thoughtful and determined,” it added. “A little whirlwind that would light up any room she walked into.”

Shortly after her death her family released a heartbreaking video on Facebook called Our Amy, warning against the dangers of drugs with the aim of making people think twice before taking substances.

The video’s voiceover said Amy had taken the unknown substance “in a moment of madness”. It continued: “She continued to socialise and smile then she began to pay for her mistake. Amy’s body rejected whatever unknown substance she had taken.”

It urged: “The next time you are in that moment please stop and think about our Amy.”

A fundraising campaign has also been set up to raise money for the Colchester Hospitals Charity in Amy’s memory.