Wacken Open Air Festival 2012 Reports One Death

Festival safety is always a concern, but sometimes there are just some incidents that you can't really prepare for. With the final note played for this year's Wacken Open Air Festival, the celebration over sets from Scorpions, Testament, and Dio Disciples among others faded quickly after it was learned there was a death at this year's event.

According to the festival's website, organizers received news that one of the camping attendees passed away after setting up a generator for the evening and dying from carbon monoxide poisoning while he slept.

A statement from the Red Cross Emergency Medical Services translated from German read, "As far as is known now, a festival guest laid down on canvas-covered trailer, where he fell asleep. A power generator was also located underneath the cover and running, filling the space between trailer and canvas with poisonous carbon monoxide. As it appears, the person in the trailer was breathing in this gas and consequently died."

The statement reveals that the unidentified man's friends went looking for him after approximately two hours and discovered his lifeless body under the canvas on the trailer. Emergency services were called to the scene, but they were unable to resuscitate the person. The State Attorney started an investigation into the incident Sunday (Aug. 5).

A posting on the Wacken Open Air website by the organizers stated, "We are shocked and send our condolences to family and friends of the deceased."