According to preliminary reports an unknown drug caused the hospitalization of 57 and the death of 2 people at the festival.
Tragedy stuck the Sunset Music Festival in held in Tampa, Florida over the weekend. The otherwise fun weekend was brought to an abrupt end when two young attendees died after the party at the Raymond James Stadium. The two day EDM festival is known for attracting a large crowd and often getting sold out. It is also a hotbed for the consumption of illegal and controlled substances as many EDM events are.
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According to Tampa Fire Rescue, 57 festival goers were hospitalized in addition to the two deaths. Paramedics did their best to rush Katie Bermudez (21) and Alex Haynes (22) to St. Joseph’s Hospital but it was too late. Medical examiners believe their deaths can be chalked up to the consumption of drugs but it’ll be weeks before the autopsy confirms this.
Tampa police stated that they made 25 felony arrests, 8 misdemeanor arrests along with 16 citations for less than 20 grams of marijuana. One of the arrested was Kole Wiedmeyer (18) who was in possession of a half pound of Mollies.
Dr. Alfred Aleguas of the Regional Poison Center in Tampa said that mixing an unknown drug, taken from a stranger, hot temperatures and dehydration can be a deadly combination. More than three dozen EMT/paramedics were on the grounds of the Sunset Music Festival along with ambulance transports, first aid and water stations but it was still not enough. This has aparked debate in the local council with Councilwoman Lisa Montelione wondering if efforts like drug dogs and undercover detectives were truly enough and plans to call for a review the festival. “They have to be really aware of the problem and provide as much support. You can’t stop what people do, you can stop the environment.”