A man was found dead at the site of a four-day Florida music festival headlined by acts like rapper Lil Yachty and Earth Wind & Fire, according the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office.
The discovery was made Saturday, March 4, at the Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival, the sheriff’s office said in a March 9 news release. Okeechobee is about 100 miles south of Orlando.
“Another festival attendee located a submerged body of an unresponsive male in the water around noon,” the sheriff’s office said.
“The body recovered was identified as Steven Nguyen from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Steven was last seen at 11:00 pm the previous night by Christian Tolentino (a personal friend).”
Investigators believe he died in “an accidental drowning,” but they are awaiting autopsy results before reaching conclusions. Foul play is not suspected, officials said.
The Friday night concert was headlined by Lil Yachty, a Grammy-nominated artist considered “a figurehead of the movement sometimes known as ‘mumble rap’,” AllMusic.com reports.
“The last known location for Steven by Christian was the Incendia Stage at the festival. That stage is adjacent to where Steven’s body was found submerged,” the sheriff’s office says.
Nguyen’s friends have criticized authorities for not publicly acknowledging his death until days later.
“We are still desperately searching for answers during this time,” Nick Eaux posted on Facebook. “I want justice for Stevie. I NEED justice for Stevie. ... We are still in the dark about our friend’s passing and even worse, so is his family.”
Festival organizers revealed the investigation was underway March 8, calling it a “heartbreaking incident.”
“We have refrained from commenting prematurely,” the festival posted. “We will continue to provide our full support to the authorities, who are determining the cause.”
This story was originally published March 10, 2023 7:51 AM.