Caitlyn Whitley, 19, found her father Paul John Whitley, 50, dead in his tent on the morning of June 11, 2026, after the first night of Download Festival in Leicestershire. She had been camping beside him and initially thought he was asleep, but discovered he was unresponsive at around 10:30am.
Discovery of the Body
Caitlyn told reporters that she woke up at 9am and stayed in bed for about half an hour, shouting good morning to her father in the tent next door. When there was no answer, she went to check on him. She found him not lying down but at the front of the tent on his knees, as if trying to crawl out. He was cold and not moving. She called for her mother, Emmilou Firshman, who arrived with her partner to help move Mr Whitley from the tent.
Emmilou described the harrowing moment: "I could see that he was in a weird position. I wiggled him, and he wasn't moving at all. I put my hand on his back, and he was freezing, and I knew something really bad was happening, so I ran to go and get somebody." A volunteer who was a nurse came running to help, and emergency services and police arrived shortly after. A large black gazebo was erected to shield the family from public view.
Cause of Death Unknown
The cause of Paul's death remains unknown, though Leicestershire Police confirmed they are not treating it as suspicious. The coroner informed Caitlyn that the official cause of death could take up to 15 weeks to confirm. Caitlyn is adamant that it was not drug-related, stating: "My dad doesn't drink, he sipped my cider, he had a coffee and a cigarette before bed and fell asleep."
Paul, a galvaniser from Sittingbourne, Kent, was a massive metal fan and was most excited to see Limp Bizkit and Hollywood Undead at Download. It was his first time camping at a festival, having only attended one-day local festivals before. Caitlyn recalled: "He was laughing and joking the whole time."
Tributes and Support
Caitlyn described her father as a "proper dad joker" who would do anything for her. She said: "I had him wrapped around my finger; he would do anything for me without hesitation." Emmilou and Paul separated more than ten years ago but maintained a strong friendship and co-parented Caitlyn. Emmilou said: "He was my ex-husband, but we still had a really good relationship and it was all for Caitlyn because she is amazing and is the centre of everything."
Both Caitlyn and Emmilou praised Download Festival's handling of the situation. Emmilou specifically thanked James Dean, who was in charge of the TLC team, saying: "He looked after us and gave us everything we needed before I even knew what I needed."
The family have launched a GoFundMe appeal to help cover funeral expenses. As of the report, the cause of death is pending further investigation.
