Woman found dead at Isle of Wight festival campsite

21 June 2024 , 12:02

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Police said the death is not being treated as suspicious (Image: Redferns)

A woman in her 40s has been found dead at the Isle of Wight Festival, police have confirmed.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said in a statement this afternoon that there was a "sudden death" on a campsite at the festival on Thursday. They added that a woman in her 40s was confirmed dead, with organisers saying they were "deeply saddened" by the news.

A spokesperson said: "We were called at 10.51am yesterday (20/6) to a report of a sudden death in the campsite of Isle of Wight Festival. A woman in her 40s has been confirmed as deceased and her family are aware. This is not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner."

A spokesman for the festival organisers said their thoughts and condolences were with the woman's family and friends. They said: "The team at the Isle of Wight Festival are deeply saddened by the passing of a festivalgoer on Thursday morning.

"Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with her family and friends." The unidentified woman died on the Isle of Wight Festival's 2024 opening, with the event due to run over the weekend.

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The woman died on Thursday, the first day of the festival (Redferns)

The festival, which first launched in 1968, will run until June 23, at Seaclose Park on the island, just north of the local capital, the town of Newport. Hampshire and Isle of Wight were called to a separate incident as the festival launched on Thursday, with black smoke seen above Seaclose Park site in Newport after a golf buggy caught fire.

The service confirmed that the buggy was being used to help attendees "travel around the festival site", and the fire was quickly extinguished by an on-site fire team. The service added that nobody was injured and the event was not impacted.

A statement from an Isle of Wight Festival spokesperson read: "A fire broke out in an area of the festival. The fire was contained and quickly extinguished by the fire services and no one was injured."

An Isle of Wight Police spokesperson said: "A short while ago a golf buggy used to travel around the festival site at #IOW2024 caught fire. No one was injured and the on-site fire service quickly extinguished it, with none of the festival site, staff or attendees affected."

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Liam Doyle