AN ALBURY man who died after being found unconscious at a music festival has been remembered as a kind, quiet and caring person as his family tries to come to grips with their loss.
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Nigel Pauljevic, 26, was found in a tent at the Defqon.1 music festival in Penrith on Saturday night.
His friends performed first aid before paramedics arrived and he was taken to hospital, where he later died.
Mr Pauljevic had only made a last minute decision to attend the dance festival after another person pulled out, and drove up to the event with a group of friends on Wednesday.
His sister, Katrina, said his family had been shocked by his death and were trying to process what had occurred.
“He was a very sensitive and caring soul,” she said.
“We’re very deeply shocked.
“He will be remembered for his stability and loyalty to his friends and family.
“He will be deeply loved and missed by all of us.”
Ms Pauljevic said her brother had “enjoyed the quiet life” and “wasn’t really a big partier”.
“I’ve been talking to the police up in Sydney,” she said.
“They’ve been very helpful.
“We’re still at a stage where we don’t know all the details of what’s occurred and we’re working through that with them.”
Police are investigating whether Mr Pauljevic had taken drugs, but his sister said he was not a drug user and rarely attended festivals.
She said he was an asthmatic and said the family would leave police and the coroner to investigate the cause.
Mr Pauljevic spent his entire life in Albury-Wodonga and attended Albury Public School then Albury High School.
He had worked at Coles before moving into factory work.
He had helped on his nanna’s farm properties in Wodonga and Wangaratta in recent years.
Katrina said he had been a keen table tennis player and enjoyed computer games and watching movies, and had played football until about six years ago.
He was a keen cook and had also played basketball for several years.
“We miss him so much,” she said.
“We’re just trying to process everything in our own way.
“We want to remember all the good things.
“He was very loved and was a cherished family member.”
Friends have rallied around the family since Saturday’s incident.
Ms Pauljevic said they were trying to focus on the happy memories they had shared with her brother.
He is the second person to have died at the Defqon.1 event; James Munro, 23, died in 2013 after reportedly taking three pills.
Police have not said if they believe Mr Pauljevic took drugs and are awaiting toxicology results, which could take weeks or months.
Nine people were taken to hospital for treatment during the event.
