A 36-year-old rock fan tragically died after collapsing during the King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard concert in Colorado on Friday.
Matthew Gawiak was enjoying the band’s performance at the Field of Vision Festival in Denver when he reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest during the seventh song. The band halted their set to let healthcare professionals attend to him, navigating through a crowd of enthusiastic fans.
Gawiak, who worked as a geospatial scientist, was at the concert with his younger brother, Chris.
“As my friends and I tried to help him, he fell to the ground and wasn’t responsive,” Chris shared on a Reddit page dedicated to the band.
Fortunately, two trauma nurses were in the audience and quickly began CPR. Chris recalled the challenge of maneuvering through excited concertgoers while sending runners for paramedics.
Emergency medical technicians worked for two hours to stabilize Gawiak, but he was pronounced dead while on his way to a local hospital.
In a heartfelt tribute, the band acknowledged the support of fans at the festival the following night. Chris mentioned on Reddit how his family had gathered to watch the concert streamed live and felt overwhelmed to see others paying tribute to Matthew.
“When we heard everyone chanting his name, we all shed tears,” he noted.
Gawiak is remembered fondly as a loving husband, son, brother, uncle, and friend. “His life’s goal was to bring happiness to others. I take comfort in knowing he was surrounded by music and a community he cherished right up until the end,” added Chris.
