Investigators looking into the deaths of two foreign nationals at this month’s Wonderfruit Festival said toxicology test results may not be available for another two months.
Officers at two police stations in Chonburi province told Coconuts that both victims were being examined this week by the forensics unit at the Police General Hospital in Bangkok. Those results could shed light on the deaths of Indonesian Kimo Rusna and Guillaume Wyss, a Swiss immigrant living in Bangkok, at the festival held two weeks ago in Chonburi.
Police at both the Bang Lamung and Nongprue stations said they were investigating their deaths separately, despite accounts that the victims had been acquainted and spent time together at the festival.
Deputy Inspector Thanachart Charoenlaew of Bang Lamung police said their preliminary findings were that Wyss died of suffocation, but the lieutenant-colonel said they were awaiting the test results before making a final conclusion.
He was found lying unconscious early Saturday morning and, according to witnesses, could not be resuscitated.
At the Nongprue Police Station, Lt. Ying Siriyakorn said though Rusna exhibited signs of overdose, investigators would not rule out any cause of death until the forensic examination was complete.
Festival reps have said they were cooperating with the police. Investigators at both stations said they had not visited the scene. Bang Lamung police said they were unaware Wyss had attended the festival until well after it was over.
A Nongprue cop attending the festival off-duty said he saw two people attending to Rusna as they waited for help after he fell from one of the festival’s stages late Friday night. The officer, who declined to give his name, said Rusna landed head first and sustained injuries that did not look survivable.
Funerals were held for both men one week ago on Dec. 22.
Organizers said 25,000 people attended the five-day Wonderfruit festival held Dec. 15-19 at the Siam Country Club. After the festival, attendees came forward with complaints about access to – and quality of – its emergency medical services, with some saying they were refused service by inadequately prepared and equipped personnel.
After deaths at Wonderfruit, attendees complain festival ‘ill-equipped and negligent’
The festival last week declined to respond to those complaints, and other concerns such as critical access to drinking water for attendees, many of whom were consuming recreational drugs.
In a statement published as a website pop up, festival founders Montonn Jira and Panitan “Pete” Phornprapha said they were “deeply saddened” and “emotional and reflecting on trying to make sense of how we will evolve through this.”
They described the deaths as “isolated incidents” and said “onsite medical staff immediately assessed and treated the individuals.”
