Coachella stage 2007
[Photo via Wikimedia Commons]

Coachella stagehand dies after fall during festival setup

A stagehand helping to set up this year’s Coachella festival has reportedly died while working on a stage at the Empire Polo Club.

According to TMZ, the worker died early Saturday morning after falling 60 feet to the ground.

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Eyewitnesses tell TMZ the stagehand was climbing the scaffolding to do some rigging for one of the festival’s stages before he fell.

The cause of the fall is unclear, although sources report the worker was not clipped into a safety harness.

An Indio Police spokesperson confirmed to TMZ that they received a report of an industrial accident for someone who had fallen on Coachella’s grounds around 9:30 a.m. PST.

Emergency crews responded shortly after the report, but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Goldenvoice, the production company behind the event, released a statement regarding the tragedy this afternoon.

“Today, Goldenvoice lost a colleague, a friend, a family member. Our friend fell while working on a festival stage. It is with heavy hearts and tremendous difficulty that we confirm his passing. He has been with our team for 20 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.”

Coachella’s first weekend kicks off April 12-14, and the second weekend will be April 19-21. Both weekends will be in Indio, California.

No other information is available at this time.

AP sends our deepest thoughts and condolences to the entire Coachella family.

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