Caitlyn Whitley, 19, discovered her father Paul John Whitley, 50, dead in his tent at Download Festival on June 11, 2026. She had been camping next to him at the heavy metal music festival.
When Caitlyn woke up around 9am, she called "good morning" to her father. Receiving no response, she assumed he was sleeping in. At approximately 10:30am, she entered his tent and found him lying on the floor, unresponsive and cold. She called her mother, Emmilou Firshman, 49, who rushed over with stepdad Scott to help pull Paul out of the tent.
Details of the Discovery
Caitlyn, from Sittingbourne, Kent, said: "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."
Emmilou described the moment she entered the tent: "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 heard the commotion and came to assist. Emergency services arrived and erected a large black gazebo to protect the family's privacy.
Cause of Death Unknown
Leicestershire Police is not treating Paul's death as suspicious. The coroner informed Caitlyn that it could take up to 15 weeks to confirm the official cause of death. Caitlyn is certain it was not drug-related. She 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."
Paul, a galvaniser from Sittingbourne, Kent, was a massive metal fan and was most excited to see Limp Bizkit and Hollywood Undead at Download. He was also the sole carer for his mother, who had a stroke and requires support from the local authority.
Family's Tribute and Praise for Festival Staff
Caitlyn described her father as "a proper dad joker, always telling silly dad jokes." She added: "I had him wrapped around my finger; he would do anything for me without hesitation." Emmilou and Paul split up over a decade ago but remained close friends and co-parents. Emmilou said: "He was my ex-husband, but we still had a really good relationship and it was all for Caitlyn."
Both Caitlyn and Emmilou praised Download Festival's response. Emmilou said: "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 has set up a GoFundMe to support Caitlyn with the cost of the funeral.
