A young woman tragically discovered her father's lifeless body in his tent at Download Festival after he failed to respond to her. Caitlyn Whitley, 19, had been camping alongside her dad, Paul John Whitley, 50, at the renowned heavy metal music festival.
Discovery at the Festival
On the morning of June 11, she cheerfully called out 'good morning' to him, but when he didn't respond, she assumed he was simply enjoying a lie-in. However, when she went to rouse him, she made the horrifying discovery. At around 10:30am, she entered his tent and found him motionless on the floor. In a panic, Caitlyn immediately phoned her mum, Emmilou Firshman, 49, who hurried over with stepdad Scott to help Paul from the tent.
The cause of Paul's death remains unknown, but Leicestershire Police are not treating it as suspicious, reports the Mirror.
Family's Account
Caitlyn, from Sittingbourne, Kent, recounted: 'I woke up around 9am and stayed in bed for about half an hour and shouted good morning to my dad in the tent next door, but there was no answer. I went and tried to wake him at about 10.30am, but he was not lying down; he was at the front of the tent on his knees, it was like he was trying to crawl out of the tent.'
'I was trying to wake him up, but he was cold and not moving, so I called for mum to help. My dad was well built; he had a proper dad bod, so I couldn't move him.' She added: 'I saw them dragging him out of the tent, and he was blue, but he looked very peaceful, and didn't look like he had been in pain. Father's Day was so difficult, and I didn't sleep well at all. Every time I closed my eyes I kept seeing him in his tent.'
Mother's Reaction
Emmilou recounted the devastating moment she entered the tent and discovered his lifeless body. She said: '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.'
'Thankfully, one of the volunteers was a nurse and heard we needed help, so instantly came running on instinct. Caitlyn was hysterical. I could see her heart break in front of me; she was screaming and hyperventilating.'
Emergency Response
Emergency crews rushed to the location, with paramedics and police officers working to set up a large black gazebo to shield the family from public view. The coroner informed Caitlyn it could take up to 15 weeks to determine Paul's official cause of death, though she remains convinced it wasn't drug-related.
Caitlyn, who is studying to become a motor mechanic, said: 'My dad doesn't drink, he sipped my cider, he had a coffee and a cigarette before bed and fell asleep. It was the first night camping, so we had an early night after a long day of driving to get there. I picked him up, and we drove together. He was laughing and joking the whole time.'
Paul's Background
'It was dad's first time camping; he only ever went to one-day local festivals, so he was so excited beforehand. He was a massive metal fan, most excited to see Limp Bizkit and Hollywood Undead at Download. When I was younger, I used to cry getting my nappy changed, and he would sing a Slipknot song to me to calm me down.'
Paul, a galvaniser hailing from Sittingbourne, Kent, also took on the role of primary carer for his mum, who suffered a stroke and now relies on assistance from the local authority.
Tributes and Support
Caitlyn shared: 'He was a proper dad joker, always telling silly dad jokes. I had him wrapped around my finger; he would do anything for me without hesitation.' Despite parting ways over ten years ago, Emmilou and Paul remained close friends and co-parents to 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. We've got tickets for so many other gigs and events that he now cannot go to see.'
Both Caitlyn and Emmilou commended the response from Download Festivals. Emmilou stated: 'There was a man called James Dean, who was in charge of the TLC team at Download, he was truly amazing. He looked after us and gave us everything we needed before I even knew what I needed.' The family have launched a GoFundMe campaign to help Caitlyn with the funeral expenses.
