A man who died after attending a Sydney dance festival took three pills, New South Wales Police said.
The 23-year-old travelled from Victoria to Penrith, in Sydney’s west, for the Defqon 1 festival on Saturday, which attracted about 18,000 hard trance fans.
He started having seizures just before midday and was taken to Nepean Hospital where he had several heart attacks.
Doctors managed to resuscitate him, but he later died.
Head of the Drug Squad Detective Superintendent Nick Bingham says the man admitted taking drugs.
“He told hospital staff that he took three pills,” he said.
“There was another substance or substances with him, but we don’t know if he took those pills or not.”
Superintendent Bingham says he does not know what kind of pills they were, but police were confiscating many that had a horse head logo on the packet.
He says the drugs were probably an imitation of ecstasy.
Detective Inspector Grant Healey says police have spoken to others who admitted taking pills.
“The problem with pills is you don’t know what you’re getting, and you’re really having a lottery with your life taking those pills,” he said.
Police are waiting for toxicology results and a report will be prepared for the Coroner.
Fourteen others were treated for suspected drug overdoses at the festival.
