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Louisiana man drowns while attending Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival

Steven Nguyen, 26, found submerged in water near stage
WPTV-OKEECHOBEE-MUSIC-FESTIVAL.jpg
Posted at 1:23 PM, Mar 09, 2023
and last updated 2023-03-09 17:44:05-05

OKEECHOBEE COUNTY, Fla. — A Louisiana man accidentally drowned last weekend while attending the Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival, authorities said Thursday.

Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Denise Sikorski said a festival attendee discovered the body of a man, identified as Steven Nguyen, 26, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, submerged in the water Saturday.

Sikorski said Nguyen had last been seen by his friend near a festival stage about 11 p.m. the previous day.

"That stage is adjacent to where Steven's body was found submerged," she said.

Investigators don't suspect foul play and consider Nguyen's death to be an accidental drowning but are awaiting the results of an autopsy.

"Our prayers go to the family, friends and festival participants affected by this tragedy," Sikorski said.

The festival released a statement on Instagram offering its "deepest condolences" to those impacted by Nguyen's death.

"As we continue to make sense of this heartbreaking incident, we encourage you to support and take good care of one another," the statement concluded.