A worker died on Saturday morning at the Empire Polo Grounds, home of the Coachella Music and Arts Festival, after a falling accident.
Emergency crews were called about 9:30 am Saturday morning, according to KESQ. Deputies learned that one of the workers passed away after falling in one of the staging areas.
The Desert Sun reports that the worker fell about 60 feet from the scaffolding while setting up one of the stages. Eyewitnesses told TMZ that the man was climbing the stage scaffolding and had no safety harness attached to a cable to prevent him from plummeting.
Update: The man has been identified as Christopher Griffin, 49, of San Diego.
UPDATE: The Riverside County Coroner's Office identified the worker who fell to his death Saturday morning while he worked on a stage for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival as 49-year-old Christopher Griffin, of San Diego. https://t.co/9JQhanHzjy
— The Desert Sun (@MyDesert) April 7, 2019
Goldenvoice, the promoter of Coachella, released the following statement:
“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 twenty 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.”
