Okeechobee County - Friday March 10, 2023: The Okeechobee County Sheriff's Criminal Investigations Division has launched a death investigation after the body of a man was recovered from a pond during the Okeechobee Music Festival on March 4th.
According to a release from the Sheriff, a "festival attendee located a submerged body of an unresponsive male in the water around noon," last Saturday.
The body recovered was identified as Steven Nguyen from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Steven was last seen at 11:00 pm the previous night by Christian Tolentino (a personal friend). The last known location for Steven by Christian was the Incendia Stage at the festival. That stage is adjacent to where Steven's body was found submerged.
"This investigation into Steven's death is being worked as an accidental drowning," states a release from the Sheriff's Office. "There is no suspected foul play."
The official cause of death awaits the conclusion of an autopsy by the medical examiner.
The festival drew thousands of attendees to the festival site at 12517 NE 91St Street in a rural area of Okeechobee.
Festival Organizers posted the following statement on their Twitter feed which reads, in part: "We are saddened by the passing of one OMF attendee this past weekend. We send our deepest condolences to this individual's loved ones, friends, and all those who have been impacted by this tragic loss."
