Substance in deadly Britt overdose “destroyed” but still unidentified, police say

Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)

2018-08-28

Document text

Authorities say they are “confident” whatever substance three people overdosed on while attending the Rebelution concert at Britt is “destroyed,” although they are still unsure what the substance was. “We are not 100 percent sure what the substance is at this time; we are still waiting for the lab results to be able to say for certain,” Lt. Kerry Curtis with Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement said in an email Wednesday. “With that said, we believe the substance came from Northern California, and we are certain the remainder has been destroyed.” One man died and another man and woman were hospitalized after they were found exhibiting symptoms of overdose at the Britt Music and Arts Festival Aug. 16. Police have declined to release their names. The two survivors’ conditions or whether they have been released were not available. Nearly a week after the deadly overdose, authorities have released few additional details. Britt Music and Arts Festival defended its security and medical staff response after criticism from onlookers. Britt released a statement Monday saying it had conducted an internal investigation and “is confident that our medical personnel and security team handled the unfortunate Aug. 16 drug overdose situation in a professional manner.” “Established protocol was followed and the patients received compassionate and timely care,” the statement said. The Mail Tribune asked for more details about the established protocol, but Britt officials declined to be interviewed and sent a second statement Wednesday. Security personnel, who are contractors from an unnamed local firm, identify people who may need medical assistance and alert volunteer emergency medical providers who staff the concerts, the statement said. Those consist of emergency medical technicians, paramedics, registered nurses, physician assistants and occasionally physicians, coordinated by another volunteer, Pamela Schrader. Schrader is an experienced physician assistant, paramedic and registered nurse, the statement said. The volunteers “provide a standard of care in response to the level of the emergency” before responders with Jacksonville Fire Department and Mercy Flights take over, the statement said, concluding “Britt has no further comments.” At least one onlooker at the Britt concert said it took about an hour and a half for a man initially discovered convulsing by the stage to go from the care of Britt staff to an ambulance. “They didn’t rush off,” Carrie Miller said Friday. All three people were alive when they left the festival, Britt said. They told emergency personnel they consumed the toxic substance before they came to Britt, the festival said. Miller said she heard from the group of concertgoers that the victims had taken sassafras, which has stimulant and hallucinogenic properties and contains a precursor ingredient used to make the drug MDMA. The drug is typically consumed in a powder form that’s licked, making the substance difficult to dose. James Olson, deputy state medical examiner for southwest Oregon, said the toxicology report that will reveal more information about the circumstances of the man’s death will take several weeks at minimum. “The state does them as they receive them,” he said, adding that he had received results earlier this week on reports he had sent as far back as May. Jacksonville Police Chief David Towe said Monday the information he had “is as it was on Thursday.” “It’s a medical assist from our standpoint,” Towe said. He said any criminal investigation would be launched based on the medical examiner’s results. Several people who left Facebook comments on the original story indicated they were also witnesses to what happened at Britt that evening. The Mail Tribune reached out to them but did not receive any responses. Reach Mail Tribune reporter Kaylee Tornay at [email protected] or 541-776-4497. Follow her on Twitter @ka_tornay .