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Man who died at Stereosonic 'called weak for seeking first aid'

The devastated mother of a teenager who died after taking illicit drugs at yesterday’s Stereosonic festival in Adelaide says she’s been left wondering what could have been done to prevent his death.

Stefan Woodward died at the Royal Adelaide Hospital last night.

This afternoon his mother released a heartbreaking statement saying the family would do anything to have him back.

She’s urging other young festival goers to look after each other and make sure it’s never considered week to ask for help, following reports Stefan’s friends urged him to leave the first aid line when he wasn’t feeling well.

But she says, most of all, she never wants another family to go through what her’s is right now.

Stefan Woodward, 19, is being remembers as a fun loving young man.


“I saw him on the ground but, yeah, it looked pretty intense, pretty serious,” a witness told 7 News.

Another said: Someone just found a bag of pills and just decided to take them and didn’t even think about what could be in them or anything.”

Visibly upset revelers were escorted from the festival where detectives spent several hours questioning witnesses.

Police say a number of pills were found on the Seaton High student.

They released these images of the tablets and are appealing for more information.

South Australia Police say pills that look like this may have involved in the death. Photo: SAPOL
South Australia Police say pills that look like this may have involved in the death. Photo: SAPOL

“We will be endeavouring to try and find out where he obtained them from and identify the source,” superintendent John de Candia said.

There were 23 people taken to hospital during yesterday’s festival in Adelaide for drug and alcohol related issues.

A 20-year-old man and a 21-year-old woman remain at the Royal Adelaide Hospital in critical but stable conditions. It is suspected they also took illicit drugs.

Online friends are saying Stefan’s death is a wake up call but others have criticised their actions. One young woman says she was behind Stefan in the first aid line when his friends accused him of being weak.

It comes just a week after Sylvia Choi died from a suspected overdose at the Sydney leg of Stereosonic.