Troubling news casts a shadow over the closing hours of Bonnaroo as reports of a campsite death are developing. It’s been a long weekend for the festival that continues to make headlines for all the wrong reasons. The mood inside the festival is surely somber as multiple news outlets await comment from local authorities.
However, a local publication, The Manchester Times, is reporting preliminary comments from Ann Ewing. The director of crisis communication for Kaleidoscope Media had this to say about the incident:
“A 27-year-old male patron camping with his father was unresponsive,” Ewing continued in the statement. “The medical team administered CPR, and he was transported to the hospital. We understand that he had an underlying medical condition, and that, unfortunately, he has died.”
Although it is too soon to speculate, this development is eerily similar to an incident that rocked the festival last year. In 2018 a campsite death was the result of Michael Donivan Craddock Jr. overdosing on a cocktail of drugs which included MDMA. Furthermore, the Coffee County Sherriff’s Department busted a man allegedly trafficking and manufacturing ecstasy on Thursday. Check out their Facebook post here:
Hopefully, for Bonnaroo, these two stories are unrelated. After a weekend like they’ve had, the last thing they need is a storyline to further tarnish their reputation. As of this writing, no further comments are coming from the event organizers. Certainly, they’re monitoring the situation closely.
Above all, our hearts go out to the loved ones of the deceased during this difficult time. Seemingly, first responders delivered aid in a timely manner but were unable to prevent this campsite death. Although, quite a bit about this story still remains unclear. As we continue to follow the developments, our thoughts and prayers rest with the family of the deceased.
