2 SnowGlobers found unconscious at Hard Rock

The low tonight at the SnowGlobe music festival is expected to be 1 degree. Photo Copyright 2014 Carolyn E. Wright

By Kathryn Reed

Two SnowGlobe attendees were found unconscious and suffering from hypothermia Tuesday night near a dumpster at Lake Tahoe Hard Rock.

“The security at Hard Rock did a great job knowing what was going on around the property. They found her by a dumpster and the kid had crawled up on one of the vehicles. Both were unconscious when they were found,” Eric Guevin, spokesman for Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District, told Lake Tahoe News. “They are very lucky to be alive. If they had not been found, for certain they would be demised.”

He said they had been imbibing alcohol, drugs or both. They were taken to Barton Memorial Hospital.

Temperatures were in the teens most of Dec. 30, dropping below zero with the wind chill.

Guevin said when the two were revived they told paramedics they had been at SnowGlobe, the three-day music festival at the ball fields adjacent to Lake Tahoe Community College in South Lake Tahoe. They also had the wristband all concertgoers must wear and were dressed as though they had been there, Guevin added.

They were found about 9pm.

(Earlier in the evening a Hard Rock security officer was taken to Barton for a non-work related medical emergency.)

Two years ago 19-year-old Alyssa Byrne of Petaluma died of hypothermia after leaving SnowGlobe. Her body was found in a snowbank off Pioneer Trail near Al Tahoe Boulevard.

Members of her family are at this year’s three-day concert, which ends tonight. They are promoting the Always Buddy Program. The slogan is: “I promise to never let myself or anyone I love leave an unfamiliar place without a buddy system.”

Guevin also stressed the importance of friends staying together and letting people know when you will be returning so if you are overdue, authorities can be notified.

South Lake Tahoe Police Chief Brian Uhler told Lake Tahoe News there have been minor violations involving drugs and alcohol at the concert, but nothing significant.

Concert promoters went from a staff of 70 security officers to more than 100 this year. Part of the reason is to be better prepared for any situation, but also because more people are attending. The first year about 9,000 people showed up each night, while this year the projection was for 15,000 attendees each of the three nights.

The city received two noise complaints the first night and four the next. The loud thumping of the bass is the problem.

One person near the venue told Lake Tahoe News, “The sustained noise/bass just wears on you. If I had this noise issue with a neighbor, I could contact the police and have the noise level reduced.”

South Lake Tahoe City Manager Nancy Kerry told Lake Tahoe News the decibel level is within the range of what the contract calls for.

Lack of snow has the sound traveling farther and the wind also carries it.

The city has made a concerted effort to make sure people are dressing appropriately. In years past lots of flesh could be seen, while this year people are more bundled up to handle the bitter cold. Lodging properties have been diligently telling concertgoers to dress for the elements.

“Start warm, stay warm” is the message on electronic signs that have been strategically placed in town.

This year’s event is over at 1am Jan. 1, with fireworks being the finale.