19 year-old Alyssa Byrne of Petaluma, CA left Snowglobe Music Festival an hour before midnight on New Year’s Eve. She passed up opportunities to visit with old friends and sent out cryptic tweets from her account. Micah Alex, the last person to see her said, “She just seemed like something was wrong with her, like she wasn’t all there, you know?” to the Huffington Post.
Byrne told friends that she was going to take a shuttle back to her hotel, but instead opted to walk from Lake Tahoe Community College (where Snowglobe was hosted) to her hotel the Horizon Casino Resort. Sgt. Pat Brooks, a spokesman for the Douglas County, Nev., Sheriff’s Department, told SFGate that there were delays with the transportation shuttles and some elected to walk.
A Google Maps view of the 3.1 mile walk between the venue and Byrne’s hotel.
On New Year’s Eve temperatures were between o and 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Byrne was wearing just a sweatshirt, yoga pants and snow boots when she left the festival. After days of searching, a utility worker founder her body buried under a snow drift.
When reports of a missing girl from Snowglobe starting showing up on social feeds a few days ago, I had assumed that she’d run off and would contact her parents a few days later. Instead we have another senseless tragedy where a life is lost way too early. I can’t help but draw comparisons to Emily McCaughan who jumped from a window after EDC Las Vegas in 2012. In both situations, the individuals showed signs that something was wrong yet the people they trusted most did not take any initiative to ensure their safety.
I don’t know how to end this post other than to implore you to watch out for one another. If something is wrong either get help or do something to make sure the person is safe. Do not be afraid of going to festival staff, security or the medics for absolutely anything. They are there to help you. Leaving the festival early for a trip back to the hotel, hospital or whatever is not the worst thing that can happen. It’s unfortunate that once again we are reminded of the latter.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Byrne family.
Image via Alyssa Byrne Memorial Page.
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