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Two critical after 19yo’s ‘drug-related death’ at Adelaide Stereosonic

Two people at the Stereosonic music festival in Adelaide were taken to hospital in a critical condition, the same day a 19-year-old died after attending the event, police say.

Stefan Woodward died in the Royal Adelaide Hospital after a suspected drug overdose on Saturday.

Through a spokesman, The Woodville Lacrosse Club paid tribute to Mr Woodward, who was described as “a sharp shooting left-handed attackman” and played for its division one team.

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Police released images on Saturday of the red or orange pills stamped with dollar symbols found in Mr Woodward’s possession.

Officers have expressed their disappointment at the suspected overdoses connected to the music festival.

Facebook: Woodville Lacrosse Club

The Woodville Lacrosse Club has paid tribute to Stefan Woodward. Photo: Facebook: Woodville Lacrosse Club

Earlier in the day, police said another 20-year-old man was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital at midday on Saturday after a medical episode at the event in Bonython Park.

“It appears as though he also consumed an illicit substance and he remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital,” a police statement said.

A 21-year-old woman is also in a critical but stable condition in hospital “after ingesting an illicit substance”, police said.

Both festival goers remain in intensive care in hospital.

Officers seized 34 pills and six people were evicted from the Adelaide event.

Superintendent John De Candia said 34 people were refused entry after they were found to be carrying drugs.

Twenty-three people were issued with drug diversions to attend counselling.

He said police were investigating the man’s death and looking to identify the source of the drugs.

“It’s hard to say what he had taken. But that is something we will investigate in addition to the other people that are in a critical condition in the Royal Adelaide Hospital,” he said.

“I specifically said before the event, that police did not want to be advising any family of such a tragedy. So this is the worst possible outcome that we could have had on a Sunday morning following the event yesterday.”

He said further tests would be conducted to determine the make up of the pills.

After the man's death Stereosonic organisers released a photo of the pills found in his possession.

South Australian police released images of orange and red pills stamped with a dollar symbol after found in a man’s possession at Stereosonic. Photo: SA Police

“The people that manufacture them, they are only interested in the profit, they don’t care about the consequences.

“They wouldn’t care less about what this young man’s family is going through this morning and will continue to go through for a very long time.”

SA Treasurer Tom Koutsantonis issued a warning to drug dealers.

“If you’re attempting to sell these drugs, you will be caught,” he said.

“And the people who sold these drugs could find themselves in a lot of trouble, because people have died now, and it’s no longer trafficking, it could be murder.”

Event organisers posted a statement on their Facebook page last night saying there were “devastated to hear of another loss to drugs”.

In another post on Sunday they warned people attending the Stereosonic event in Brisbane to “look out for each other”

The death comes a week after 25-year-old Sylvia Choi died at the Sydney Stereosonic festival of a suspected overdose.

In the lead-up to the Adelaide event, police made a drug arrest in Prospect on Friday and sniffer dogs stopped five people at the gates.

Drugs seized at Melbourne event

Meanwhile, a man is in intensive care in hospital after an apparent drug overdose at the Melbourne Stereosonic music festival on Saturday.

Ambulance Victoria said the man, aged in his late teens, was one of six suspected overdoses treated by paramedics at the Flemington showgrounds in Melbourne.

He was taken to the Western Hospital in a critical condition, but is now considered to be in a serious, but stable condition.

Bag search at Stereosonic Adelaide

Bag searchers and police with sniffer dogs checked patrons entering the event. Photo: ABC

Another reveller aged in his 20s was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a serious condition, after suffering head injuries in a fall, but he has since been discharged.

Victoria Police arrested 70 people and seized drugs including ecstasy, MDMA, amphetamines, cocaine and cannabis.

Six people were issued with cannabis cautions and two others are expected to be charged on summons with drug offences and two were charged and bailed.

They also said two festival goers were expected to be charged on summons with assault, while two others were issued with penalty notices for being drunk.

The suspected overdose in Melbourne comes after a 19-year-old man died and two people in their 20s were taken to hospital in a critical condition after suspected drug overdoses at Adelaide’s Stereosonic event.

Police said a 20-year-old man was taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital after suffering from a medical episode at the event in Bonython Park.

“It appears as though he also consumed an illicit substance and he remains in a critical but stable condition in hospital,” a police statement said.

A 21-year-old woman is also in a critical but stable condition in hospital “after ingesting an illicit substance”, police said.

Last week, a woman died after a suspected drug overdose after the Sydney event and another woman was put into an induced coma.

Almost 70 others were charged with drug offences at the Sydney Stereosonic festival.

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