Rock Fan Dies Suddenly at King Gizzard Concert in Colorado
A 36-year-old man tragically died while attending a King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard concert during the Field of Vision Festival in Denver, Colorado, on Friday evening.
Mathew Gawiak, who was enjoying the performance when he began to feel faint just before 9 p.m., collapsed less than an hour into the show, as reported by Westword.
During the seventh song of the set, Gawiak went into cardiac arrest. In response, the band paused their performance to allow medical personnel to attend to him, according to family statements and various reports.
Gawiak, a geospatial scientist, was at the festival with his brother Chris, who recounted the distressing moment of his brother’s collapse on a Reddit post dedicated to the band.
“As my friends and I tried to help him, he suddenly fell to the ground and became unresponsive,” Chris shared.
Fortunately, two trauma nurses in the crowd quickly intervened, initiating CPR while others sought emergency medical assistance.
Emergency responders worked for two hours to stabilize Gawiak, but he was declared dead while being transported to a nearby hospital.
The Australian band later honored their dedicated fan during their performance the following evening at the festival.
In his Reddit tribute, Chris expressed gratitude for the community’s support. Mathew’s family and friends streamed the concert the next night and were both moved and grateful to see a heartfelt dedication in his memory.
“Hearing his name chanted brought tears to our eyes. ‘Float Along Fill Your Lungs’ was his favorite closing song, and it remains significant to me as well,” Chris noted.
Gawiak’s GoFundMe campaign fondly remembered him as a cherished husband, son, brother, uncle, and friend.
“His life’s ambition was to bring joy to those he loved. I find solace in knowing he was surrounded by music and a community that meant so much to him, and that he experienced genuine happiness in his final moments,” his wife, Ali Zangle, wrote on the fundraising page.
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