A 34-YEAR-OLD Epping man died at the 15th Rainbow Serpent Festival at Beaufort from unknown causes. A Victoria Police spokeswoman said the cause of the death was not believed to be suspicious.“Police are aware of the death of a 34-year-old man from Epping at the festival,” she said. “Police and paramedics were called to the festival at 1.30am.“But the death is not believed to be suspicious.”Ambulance Victoria spokesman John Mullen said the man was already dead when emergency crews arrived at the scene. “An ambulance crew attended in the early hours of Sunday morning,” Mr Mullen said. “Ambulance Victoria paramedics determined that the patient was deceased.”A 25-year-old was also taken to the Ballarat Base Hospital in a serious but stable condition on Saturday night, he said.The man was treated for a drug overdose. “We were called at 7.30pm on Saturday night at Jack Smith Lane, Lexton,” Mr Mullen said.
View Larger Map“The man had suffered a cardiac arrest, he wasn’t breathing.“We resuscitated the person at the scene and took him to the Ballarat Base Hospital in a serious but stable condition.”The Victoria Police spokeswoman said they were generally pleased with the overall crowd of 15,000.“No drugs have been found at the event by the police,” she said. “Overall the crowds have been well-behaved.”Only one man, she said, had been ejected for behavioural issues from the festival, which concludes today.More than 100 artists across a range of music genres, including progressive trance, electro, house, breaks, dub and ambient were at the open-air festival, which started in 1987.The Rainbow Serpent Festival has grown from a small gathering in a secluded clearing to a permanent site that accommodates thousands of people.Organiser Tim Harvey earlier told The Courier he expected people to travel from all over Victoria to attend this year’s event.Follow @NeelimaChoahan