A Calgary man has been found dead in a river near the site of Shambhala Music Festival in British Columbia which took place this past weekend.
The Salmo Royal Canadian Mounted Police have confirmed a 43-year-old man was found by divers hired to retrieve trash from the Salmo River.
He was brought to shore, but efforts to revive him were unsuccessful and he was pronounced deceased.
Police have not confirmed the identity of the man or if he attended Shambhala, but a Reddit post on Shambhala’s subReddit claimed they were searching for an attendee named “Steve” and that he was the individual found in the river.
Shambhala is a camping festival launched in 1998 under the initial name Shambhalove. It drew 500 people and had two stages, a huge difference compared to the 10,000 attendees and six stages at the festival today, all without any sponsors.
The 2023 edition took place this past weekend, July 21-24, with headliners including John Summit, Zeds Dead, RL Grime, GRiZ, Chase & Status, Sub Focus, Wilkinson, Excision, and Liquid Stranger.
Updated July 27
Shambhala has posted a statement in regards to the death.
The festival responded on its social media, saying, “It is with great sadness that Shambhala Music Festival must share the news of a tragic loss of life on the Salmo River adjacent to the festival grounds. With heavy hearts, we confirm that it was a beloved member of our crew, whose family has been informed of his passing.”
They go on to say that his creativity and passion for Shambhala can be seen all across the festival and especially in projects at the Village Stage and the Grove Stage.
The response also states that in respect for his family, they will not be releasing any further details.
You can read the full statement on Shambhala’s social media here.
Featured image credit Caspian Kai Photo, second image credit bykietle
