Callum Brosnan dancing at Knockout Games at Sydney Olympic Park shortly before he died. Photo / Facebook
Callum Brosnan dancing at Knockout Games at Sydney Olympic Park shortly before he died. Photo / Facebook
It should have been one of the best nights of their lives, but when Callum Brosnan and his mates descended on Knockout Games of Destiny it would ultimately be remembered for all the wrong reasons.
The 19-year-old from Baulkham Hills in Sydney's northwest had made his way to the festival at Sydney Olympic Park in the city's west on Saturday, news.com.au reports.
While the strobe lights were flashing and the hardstyle music was pulsating his friend Bianca Douglas took a short video of her bopping up and down alongside Mr Brosnan.
It should have been a video they could have looked back and laughed at, but instead it has become a haunting relic of Mr Brosnan's final moments.
Not long after the video — which shows the late teenager jumping up and down and swinging his arms — the talented musician and AFL player was found lying prostrate, writhing in distress at a nearby train station.
NSW Police said he was raced from the station in Homebush to Concord Hospital, suffering from a suspected drug overdose but died about 4.30am on Sunday.
Reacting to the tragedy, Mr Brosnan's grandmother Bev Munnik told 9 NEWS more needs to be done to reduce the risk of drugs on young people's lives — adding that a "silly, one-off mistake" that led to her grandson's death.
"They are worse than terrorists because they are undermining our youth. They actually murder them," she said. "I woke up this morning and thought it had all been a terrible dream. It's a tragedy."
Hayley Sheers, a young woman who is understood to have been in a relationship with the 19-year-old, posted a heartfelt tribute.
"Rest easy my beautiful man – you were definitely taken too soon," Ms Sheers wrote.
"I love you, I will always love you."
It comes as a political scrap is now beginning over what should be done to reduce the harm caused by drugs at Aussie festivals — after 16 people were rushed to hospital with three placed in induced comas due to suspected drug overdoses at the Knockout Games event.
A further 130 people sought medical treatment during the event which hosted around 18,000 people.
One woman was allegedly found with nearly 400 tablets inside her body and a 25-year-old man allegedly had 145 MDMA capsules in his possession.
According to the Daily Telegraph, festivalgoers could be slapped with $400 on-the-spot fines for drug possession — the maximum penalty possible for offenders outside court — at the Hardcore Til I Die at the Sydney Showgrounds next month.
The event, on Australia Day, is being run by promoter Harder Styles United which also organised Knockout Games of Destiny.
Yesterday, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said her government has "already acted" strengthening laws in November to deter drug dealers and would not consider introducing pill testing at festivals.
She added that new license regulations for NSW music festivals won't be in place until after summer.
However, she said new licensing regulations will help — eventually.
"When you embark on having these events you are privy to those new regulations that we put through and we expect the highest level of safety to be conducted by all these event organisers," the premier told reporters on Monday. "All of our agencies are on high alert because they know how strongly I feel about this.
"We're absolutely hopeful that (young people dying) never happens again and the strongest message we can send to people is 'Do not take illegal substances'."
Liquor & Gaming NSW on Monday confirmed the state's new music festival rules won't be in place until March 2019.
"The new licensing regime will include detailed safety management plans with measures targeted to the specific risks of each festival," a spokesman told AAP. "It will ensure a consistent approach and cover liquor, health and policing measures."
Organisers holding music festivals over the summer are being encouraged to work closely with Liquor & Gaming, local councils, NSW Police and NSW Health "to reduce the risks of drug-related casualties at festivals".
The NSW parliament last month passed the Community Protection Legislation Amendment Bill which introduced jail terms of up to 20 years for those who supply drugs which cause death.
In October the government accepted in principle recommendations made by an expert panel convened to advise how to keep people safe at music festivals.
The recommendations included providing more support for festival health workers and trialling on-the-spot fines for drug possession.
— with AAP
Callum Brosnan dancing at Knockout Games at Sydney Olympic Park shortly before he died. Photo / Facebook
