One dead, two hospitalised after ingesting ‘unknown substance’ at music festival
Friends of a 22-year-old who died at a music festival on the NSW Central Coast after ingesting an “unknown substance” have paid tribute to the Brisbane man as two others recover in hospital and organisers of another nation-wide festival have issued a warning online about a potentially deadly orange pill.
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Organisers of one of Australia’s biggest music and arts festival has posted a warning online to revellers about a potentially dangerous orange pill.
The “One pill can kill” message was issued by Secret Sounds after the death of a 22-year-old who died at the Lost Paradise musicl festival on the NSW Central Coast on Saturday.
Tributes are flowing in for Josh Tam, who died at the dance rave on the NSW central coast on Saturday.
The young Brisbane man had travelled to the Lost Paradise festival from Queensland with a group of about 20 of his close mates.
Friends went to Gosford Hospital to identify his body, police said on Sunday morning.
Hundreds of people have taken to Facebook to voice their heartache after suddenly losing their dear friend.
“Love ya my brother,” one man posted.
Secret Sounds, which runs the Falls Festival in Victoria, Tasmania, NSW and Western Australia from December 28 to January 6 posted a warning after the death of Mr Tam at the Lost Paradise festival in NSW.
“Our medical teams have alerted us to a dangerous orange pill that is currently in circulation across Australia,’’ Falls Festival posted on twitter.
“Regardless of pill variation, we want to remind everyone of the potential fatal risks that come with illicit substances.
“You do not know what is in them, how your body will react, there is no safe level of consumption.
“One pill can kill.’’
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Falls Festival organisers urged music fans to dispose of any drugs safely and to seek medical attention immediately if they or any of their friends are feeling unwell or concerned for their health.
“The event and medical teams are here to help you without judgment,” they said.
“We want all of you to have a great time and enjoy a safe festival experience.’’
A man and a woman were also taken to hospital from the festival on the NSW Central Coast after ingesting an unknown substance and becoming sick. They are understood to be recovering in a stable condition.
Brisbane Waters Police District Commander Acting Superintendent Rod Peet said festival goers had been caught sneaking drugs into the event in range of items including a barbecue chicken.
“People aren’t carrying it in their pockets, they aren’t that careless,” he said.
“In one instance, someone had tried to inter drugs in the stuffing of a barbecue chicken.
“We have found drugs secreted in Vegemite jars that have been fabricated with false compartments.”
Supt Peet said the Lost Paradise Lost would not be closed down because of the death of the 22-year-old from the Brisbane suburb of Toowong.
“At this stage the event is continuing,” said Supt Peet. “It’s running for the next two days and what happens next year will be subject to future discussion.”
He said policing at the event was “adequate” and did not need to be increased because of the fatality.
Supt Peet said Mr Tam reported to the on-site medical bay complaining of feeling ill at around 6pm on Sunday.
He said it was the first fatal overdose in the festival’s 15-year history.
“The whole preamble, the whole underlying principle of this event was to be drug-free,” he said.
A spokeswoman for the Lost Paradise Music Festival said that the man’s death was “very distressing.”
“This is a very distressing incident and our sincerest thoughts and condolences are with the family and friends of the deceased,” she said.
“We work closely with local police to try to ensure festival-goers respect our drug free policy and NSW Ambulance to provide extensive medical support across the festival site.”
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the news was “devastating”.
“I am devastated to hear another life has been lost at a music festival. I extend my deepest sympathies to the young man’s family and friends,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“There is no such thing as a safe illegal drug and I urge everyone who is attending a festival to stay safe and think carefully about the decisions they make around drugs.
“We want people to enjoy themselves at music festivals and concerts but we also want them to be safe.
“That is why we moved quickly to put in place a range of reforms, recommended by an expert panel, to improve safety at dance festivals, including much tougher penalties for the criminals who sell drugs at these events.”
Three people have already been charged with drug offences at the festival, which runs for three days on the Central Coast and has drawn around 11,000 partygoers from around the county this year.
A 21-year-old from Drummoyne in Sydney’s inner west was charged with supply a prohibited drug after allegedly being caught with 105 MDMA pills.
A 23-year-old man from Elanora Heights in the city’s north was also allegedly found with 80 MDMA pills and 65 bags of cocaine at the Lost Paradise festival. He is also facing a drug supply charge.
Both will front Gosford Local Court on Friday 18 January 2019.
Saturday night’s fatal overdose marks the second death at the wildly popular Central Coast music festival.
Last year, 21-year-old Canberra woman Harriet Nixon died at the festival after a large tree branch fell on her on December 29.
The Lost Paradise Music Festival is advertised as “a mind-blowing four day and night celebration of life, love and fun.”
Famous acts playing in the Lost Paradise festival line-up this year include Peking Duck, The Kooks and Tash Sultana.
The death comes just three weeks after 19-year-old Callum Brosnan died of a drug overdose at the Knockout Games of Destiny music festival at Sydney Olympic Park.
It also comes three months after another two people died from drug overdoses at the Defqon. 1 hairstyle dance festival in Penrith.
The Lost Paradise festival has been running for five years and is headed up by club and music veterans Simon Beckingham and Wade Cawood.
Beckingham has previously told News Corp that setting up the music festival was a dream come true.
The Lost Paradise event is heavily curated around eco-friendliness and spirituality, offering partygoers yoga experiences, talks and workshops.
The popular Falls Festival - an annual music and arts event also involving camping - runs from December 28 to January 5 across Lorne in Victoria, Marion Bay in Tasmania, Byron Bay in NSW and Fremantle in Perth.
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