Family of Stefan Woodward speak of their loss after death at Adelaide Stereosonic Festival
THE devastated mother of a teenager who died in a suspected drug overdose at Stereosonic has called for a shift in young people’s attitudes to ensure no one is afraid of asking for help. Call for inquest | Time to test drugs?
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THE devastated mother of a teenager who died in a suspected drugs overdose at a popular music event has called for more action at festivals, and a shift in young people’s attitudes, to ensure no one is afraid of asking for help.
Stefan Woodward, 19, was rushed to the Royal Adelaide Hospital at 5pm on Saturday, after he consumed pills, believed to be ecstasy, at the Stereosonic music festival at Bonython Park.
He died a short time later.
His grieving mother Julie Davis, 39, stepfather, Johnathan and brother Scott, 23, led tributes to the “happy, fun-loving young man whose life has been cut so tragically short”.
The family also released a series of pictures of the popular teenager, and gifted lacrosse player, including with his 19-month-old brother Jayven.
In an emotional statement, Mrs Davis, an aged-care worker, also called for more support staff trained in first aid to attend events, particularly in extreme heat, to ensure those suffering from an overdose could get appropriate treatment.
This follows claims on social media speculating that Mr Woodward — who was completing Year 13 at Seaton High School while working at an Allenby Gardens Foodland — was mocked for seeking medical attention at the festival.
“I keep asking what could have stopped me from losing my son, and my other two sons from losing their darling brother,” she said.
“More than anything I want something good to come of this tragedy. I want organisers of events like these to make sure there is enough first aid on offer to make sure that no one gets turned away, and no one feels they need to wait.
“I want friends to look after each and make sure it’s never considered weak to ask for help. I want authorities to make sure kids are kept safe with free water. And I want young boys and girls like Stefan to never be too scared to ask for help.”
She added: “Mostly, I never want another family to go through what we are going through next now.”
The weekend tragedy came after the recent death of his father Neil, from an undisclosed illness.
As Mrs Davis was being comforted by relatives at her Adelaide home, more than 50 family and friends gathered at a western suburbs cafe to celebrate the teen’s life after flooding social media with tributes.
Many only found out on Sunday morning of Mr Woodward’s sudden death.
On Sunday night two other young people remained in the Royal Adelaide Hospital Intensive Care Unit after being treated for overdoses — a 21-year-old woman and a 20-year-old man, neither of whom have been named.
The man was taken to the RAH about midday on Saturday and several hours later police at the hospital were alerted by staff that the young woman had taking an illicit substance.
Another teenager remains in a critical condition in Melbourne after six people overdosed on drugs at the Victorian Stereosonic festival also held on Saturday.
In Brisbane, there were 17 arrests for serious drug charges and 14 fans were hospitalised, nine of them for “serious overdoses”.
Woodville Lacrosse Club president Gavin Wood said Mr Woodward — who has played at the club for nine years — has been remembered as a strong and valued team member.
“He was a very good lacrosse player, he was a tall and strong player,” he said.
“He never realised how good he was — that was Stefan, he was much better than he thought he was. But he had just started to realise if he committed and worked hard he would have been an elite player at the club.”
Mr Woodward was an attacking player and was a member of premiership teams in U13, 15 and 17.
Mr Wood said the club had its first pre-season training yesterday morning and the mood was “sombre”.
He said the club would look to honour Mr Woodward’s life in some way in the future.
Mr Woodward was found in possession of a number of orange pills imprinted with a dollar sign.
His death comes after Sylvia Choi, 25, who died at the Sydney Stereosonic festival last weekend after taking illicit substances.
Senior State Government Ministers and frustrated police said it was disappointing that despite repeated warnings about the risk taking behaviour in the lead-up to the event, a young man had died and described it as “the worst possible outcome” for authorities.
“Despite our efforts despite the media messages, the warnings in relation to risk taking behaviour that people engage in — in taking illicit drugs ... we’re still in this tragic situation of a 19- year-old man who is now dead as a result of that risk taking behaviour,” said Superintendent John De Candia.
“Can you imagine what that family is going through..... there is one less person at the Christmas table this year and next year and the year after and birthdays.
“This is the worst possible outcome for (police).”
Police would not reveal the number of tablets found on Mr Woodward but confirmed the other overdoses were not from the same tablets that featured a dollar sign on them.
It remains unclear what the pills contained until forensic testing is completed in the coming days.
“We are appealing for anyone in the community with information relevant to these matters to come forward and speak to police.”
Supt De Candia declined to say if police supported testing stations at festivals for illicit drugs.
“That’s a matter for government to address,” he said.
“It’s a matter for government to address and not (police). All I can say is if you want to be 100 per cent certain about illicit drugs — don’t take them. You don’t know how they’re made, where they’re made — the people that manufacture them are in the business of organised crime. They’re in the business of making money and they don’t care about the misery inflected on others.”
Professor Bob Dunn, Acting Director of Royal Adelaide Hospital Emergency Department said that the two others who were admitted for overdoses were among 25 people who presented attended the RAH Emergency Department last night.
“There were about 25 people who attended the ... Emergency Department late (on Saturday night) which we believe were related to the festival itself,” he said.
“The vast majority were related to drug use.
“It’s very sad seeing what happens. We lost a young Australian who probably had a lot to live for and that’s the saddest part.”
- with Meagan Dillon and Brad Crouch
Young lives cut short
■ December 5 Stefan Woodward, 19, dies at the Stereosonic festival in Adelaide after taking illicit drugs, believed to be ecstasy.
■ November 28 Sylvia Choi, 25, right, from Oyster Bay, dies at the Stereosonic festival at Sydney Olympic Park after taking ecstasy.
■ October Woman, 23, dies after she is thought to have taken drugs at the Dragon Dreaming festival at Wee Jasper near Canberra.
■ September Nigel Pauljevic, 26, dies at Defqon 1 festival in Penrith.
■ February 2015 Tolga Toksoz, 19, dies at a State of Trance party in Sydney. Believed to have taken ecstasy.
■ November 2014 Georgina Bartter, 19, dies after taking ecstasy at Harbour Life Festival at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair.
■ September 2013 James Munro, 23, dies of a suspected ecstasy overdose at the Defqon 1 festival at Sydney International Regatta Centre. He told paramedics he had taken three pills, which he believed to be ecstasy, before he suffered a series of cardiac arrests.
■ November 2012 Daniel Buccianti, 34, dies after taking acid at the Rainbow Serpent Festival in Beaufort, Victoria.
■ October 1995 Anna Wood, 15, dies after taking ecstasy at a Sydney dance party.
The deadly drug
THE illicit drug known seductively as “ecstasy” can have a result about as far from true ecstasy as imaginable — rhabdomyolysis, or overheating to the point of organs liquefying.
TAKING ecstasy in a hot or humid environment — it hit 40C at the Stereosonic Music Festival — can cause dehydration and raise the body’s temperature to dangerous levels, increasing the risk of organ failure.
ECSTASY tablets are supposedly made up of primary ingredient methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), but the formulation can vary greatly and are more likely to contain methamphetamine (speed) combined with a synthetic hallucinogen or para-methoxyamphetamine (PMA).
ECSTASY usually produces a euphoric rush within about 20 minutes which can last up to eight hours.
USE usually consists of three phases: “coming up” where the user may experience tightening of muscles, especially jaw, dilated pupils, visual distortions, nausea or vomiting, strong pulse, increased temperature, confusion and panic; “plateauing” where the user feels happy, alert, relaxed, confident, talkative and thirsty; “coming down” where the user feels exhausted, depressed, anxious, paranoid, irritable and unable to sleep.
THERE is a risk of serotonin syndrome, an excess of the neurotransmitter serotonin (brain chemical), the symptoms can include agitation, confusion, headache, rapid heart beat, hypertension, fever, muscle twitches, coma and death.
SYMPTOMS and signs of use include increased blood pressure and pulse rate, dilated pupils, raised temperature, sweating, loss of appetite, jaw clenching, nausea, nervousness, confusion, teeth grinding, vomiting, hallucinations, tremors, insomnia, panic and visual distortions.
CONSEQUENCES include chronic sleep problems, cracked teeth through grinding, high blood pressure, dehydration, anxiety, decreased emotional control, lethargy, depression, memory impairment, nerve cell damage, serotonin syndrome, death from heart failure, rhabdomyolysis.
My found memories of Stefan, the young cricketer
by Andrew Capel
WHEN I heard the name, it hit me like a bolt out of the blue.
The danger of drugs and the cold, hard reality that no-one is immune from the devastation they can cause hit home when my 21-year-old daughter broke the news that the teenager who died of a suspected drug overdose at the Stereosonic Music Festival in Adelaide was Stefan Woodward.
I had the pleasure of coaching Stefan in under-age cricket at Grange Primary School in 2005 and 2006.
He was in my eldest son’s team and among a group of talented boys who swept all before them, rarely losing a game of school cricket in two years.
Stefan wasn’t the most talented boy in the team but he was a trier who always gave his best.
I have fond memories of him.
He was a strong left-handed, middle-order batsman who could give the ball a decent whack.
Stefan was quiet and reserved but easy to coach. He was eager to learn and improve his skills and was a good team member.
Stefan played several years of school cricket at Grange and improved out of sight from the boy I first saw pick up a cricket bat.
When Stefan moved to high school, I lost contact with him.
That was until I saw him at my local gymnasium earlier this year.
We chatted briefly — in between us both working out — and he seemed to be doing well with his life.
To hear of his death when he had, at age 19, the world at his feet, is a tragedy.
My deepest sympathies go out to the Woodward family.
As a father of a 21-year-old daughter and two teenage boys, the incident is another wake-up call to the dangers of drugs among young people in modern society.
If another wake-up call was needed, surely this is it.
Just as respected Port Adelaide Football Club coach Ken Hinkley often preaches to his players, the football world and community in general, there should be a zero-tolerance attitude to drugs.
This is further, devastating evidence as to why.
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/photos-fnlmw1po-1227635190915