The founders of Wonderfruit said they were “incredibly saddened” in their first public comments since this past weekend on the deaths of two festival-goers.
In a brief, written pop-up statement on the festival’s homepage, founders Panitan “Pete” Phornprapha and Montonn Jira said they were “incredibly saddened over the tragic loss of two members of our community.”
“We cannot begin to imagine the pain and anguish felt by their families and friends,” it read. “Our deepest thoughts and prayers go out to them during this incredibly difficult time.”
The statement said that onsite medical staff “immediately assessed and treated the individuals” before stressing that they were pronounced dead at two Pattaya hospitals rather than the festival.
According to the police, Kimo Rusna of Indonesia fell from “the stands” of one of the festival stages and landed head first. Witnesses described seeing Swiss national Guillaume Wyss, 41, a longtime Bangkok DJ who performed at the festival, being unresponsive to CPR before being taken away from the scene on a golf cart. A nurse at Bangkok Pattaya Hospital said they worked unsuccessfully to get his heart beating.
Funerals for Rusna and Wyss were held Thursday on Bali and in Bangkok, respectively.
In the statement, which was not published to the festival’s social media channels, Pete and Montonn described the two men’s deaths as “isolated incidents.”
It was unclear what led them to make that determination. By many accounts, the two were acquainted and had spent time together at the festival. Asked for clarification, the festival declined to respond today.
After deaths at Wonderfruit, attendees complain festival ‘ill-equipped and negligent’
Police said today that their dual investigations are ongoing. Nong Prue police are looking into Rusna’s death; investigators with Bang Lamung police are handling Wyss’s case.
“The Indonesian national fell headfirst from the stage at the festival where the medical team transported him to a hospital in Pattaya. He was pronounced dead,” Lt. Col. Anutchet Katsomboon of Nong Prue police said Friday.
He said they did not expect autopsy results for nearly two months. While he acknowledged that time frame was unusual, he said it was because multiple examinations would take place “all over the country.”
“We are committed to work with and assist local authorities in their ongoing inquiries,” Peta and Montonn wrote, adding that they have been in touch with both men’s families.
Festival publicists have not responded to inquiries from Coconuts since Monday, except to request that its statement be attributed to a different spokesperson.
On Wednesday, in response to detailed questions about its readiness and the quality of emergency medical services in the face of attendees refuting that treatment was “immediate” and that they had been refused treatment by ill-equipped medics, the festival said it would respond Thursday.
At least 2 revelers confirmed dead at Wonderfruit Festival
On Monday, a Wonderfruit spokesperson said in a statement that they were “deeply saddened” to learn that two attendees had died and that both men “had been very quickly brought to the attention of on-site medical staff, who assessed and treated the patients immediately” before offering their “thoughts and prayers.”
Montonn and Pete said in Thursday’s statement that they “are emotional” and “trying to make sense of how we will evolve through this.”
Wonderfruit is a lifestyle and music festival that usually takes place every December, drawing crowds in the tens of thousands. This year’s edition, the seventh since 2014, took place Dec. 14-18 southeast of Bangkok at the Siam Country Club in Chonburi province.
Spread over a large expanse of gently sloping fields, the festival features daytime events that range from discussions on sustainability and design to crafting workshops. The festival featured camping areas, many food booths, and more than 14 stages with a diverse range of music genres.
Here is the full statement:
Dear Wonderers,
We are incredibly saddened over the tragic loss of two members of our community who passed away at nearby hospitals during Wonderfruit this past weekend. We cannot begin to imagine the pain and anguish felt by their families and friends. Our deepest thoughts and prayers go out to them during this incredibly difficult time.
In both these isolated incidents, onsite medical staff immediately assessed and treated the individuals who were then transferred to Pattaya Memorial Hospital & Bangkok Pattaya Hospital, where they sadly passed away at approximately 11:45pm, Friday, 16 Dec & 5:00am, Saturday, 17 December respectively. We are committed to work with and assist local authorities in their ongoing inquiries. We have also been in touch with the families who ask that their privacy be treated with the utmost respect in this unimaginably difficult time.
We understand that this will affect many of us as a community. Like many of you, we are emotional and reflecting on trying to make sense of how we will evolve through this.
With utmost respect,
Pete Phornprapha, Montonn Jira & the entire Wonderfruit team
