A Calgary man whose body was found in the Salmo River one day after Shambhala Music Festival had been working at the event last week.
RCMP announced in a statement Tuesday that divers contracted by the festival to recover garbage from the river found the 43-year-old Monday and brought him back to shore where he was pronounced dead. Police say he appeared to have drowned and don’t suspect foul play.
The man has still not been publicly identified, but in a statement Thursday Shambhala said he had been an employee at the time of his death.
“The entire Shambhala Music Festival family is in mourning, as we have lost someone very close to our hearts who dedicated their time and passion to the festival year after year. His creativity can be seen across the farm in all the special projects he led, particularly at the Village Stage and the Grove Stage. These installations will remain as a reminder of him and his desire to create something deeply special on the farm for all to enjoy.
“The void left by this Shambhala family member’s passing is profound and deeply felt by all of us.”
The electronic music event, which ran Thursday to Sunday, draws crowds of at least 15,000 annually to its site south of Nelson.
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