An employee of the Coachella music festival team has died after falling while setting up a stage.
The Associated Press reported that Goldenvoice, the music company that puts up the festival, confirmed that the man was a lead rigger and was working on the festival grounds at the Empire Polo Club.
"Today, Goldenvoice lost a colleague, a friend, a family member. Our friend fell while working on a festival stage," a representative for the festival said in a statement to Variety. "It is with heavy hearts and tremendous difficulty that we confirm his passing. He has been with our team for twenty years in the desert and was doing what he loved. He was a hard-working and loving person that cared deeply about his team. As our lead rigger, he was responsible for the countless incredible shows that have been put on at the festival. We will miss him dearly."
Desert Sun reported that the Riverside County Coroner's Office identified the man as 49-year-old Christopher Griffin, of San Diego, California.
A witness told TMZ Griffin was climbing stage scaffolding and fell about 60 feet. He was not wearing a safety harness. A call was made to report the fall around 9:30 a.m. PDT Saturday, an Indio Police Department spokesman Ben Guitron told Variety. Griffin was pronounced dead at the scene.
Coachella is open April 12-14 and April 19-21. Ariana Grande, Childish Gambino, H.E.R. Ella Mai, Idris Elba, Lizzo, Janell Monae, Solange, Zedd, Wiz Khalifa and Kacey Musgraves are among the more than 160 artists performing at the festival.
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