Shambha Steve: Man who drowned in Salmo River ID’d as longtime Shambhala crew member

The Shambhala community is mourning a beloved longtime crew member of the annual music festival.

Steve Shortridge, better known in the Shambhala world as Shambha Steve, has been identified by friends and fellow festival goers as the man who drowned in the Salmo River on Monday.

A post on the Shambhala subreddit that expressed concern about not being able to reach Shortridge was updated Wednesday night to share the unfortunate news.

“We have received confirmation that it was our friend that passed away in the river. We are heartbroken,” the post explained.

“If you knew Steven at all you know how much he loved Shambhala and how much he contributed over the years at the stages. Please keep his memory alive and take care of each other. We love you Steven and we will miss you forever.”

On Tuesday, police said only that it was a 43-year-old Calgary man who had been found unresponsive in the river by divers the day after the four-day festival. Attempts to revive him on shore were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

While Shortridge is from Calgary, his Facebook page and various tributes posted online indicate that he had been living in Victoria in recent years.

Most of the tributes can be found on the aforementioned Reddit post, where Shortridge is being remembered as someone who was “wonderful and so full of love and energy.”

“I hugged Steve around 1 am Sunday morning before going to bed and we told each other we loved each other and he said how great of a Shambhala he was having,” wrote one user. “I can’t stop crying. I miss my friend.”

Police said Tuesday that no foul play is expected in Shortridge’s death.