UBC student Vivek Pandher dies after attending Washington state music festival

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      A UBC engineering student has died in Vancouver General Hospital after he was found unresponsive at the Paradiso music festival on June 27.

      Vivek Pandher was hospitalized in Washington state before being transferred back to B.C. on June 30.

      Pandher, a videographer, was one of two people who passed away after attending the sold-out event at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington.

      The temperature in the town reached 41°C on June 27.

      Promoters doubled the number of water stations at the festival and posted hydration signs around the venue.

      There is a service for Pandher scheduled at 3 p.m. on Saturday (July 11) at the Five Rivers Funeral Home (7410 Hopcott Road, Delta). Following the service, there will be a special gathering at the Sri Guru Singh Sabha Gurdwara (8115 132 Street, Surrey).

      Comments

      2 Comments

      Christine Makasoff

      Jul 6, 2015 at 9:50pm

      This is very sad. The organization of this festival should be closely scrutinized. Thousands of people gather in the middle of summer where there is almost no shade available. Water stations were not plentiful, contrary to what organizers have said. How many deaths are necessary before adequate changes are made?

      Yeah

      Jul 7, 2015 at 8:51am

      My condolences to the family of Mr. Pandher. But it's wrong to just assume the promoters were responsible. As the article states, they doubled the number of hydration stations and posted signs warning everyone of the danger. People choose to go to a festival in the desert, they should be adequately prepared and should not be doing drugs that will screw up their comprehension of what is actually happening. I am in no way saying that Mr. Pandher did any of these things. But I am saying we each bear some responsibility for our well being.