Did carbon monoxide from a barbecue kill a camper at Antilliaanse Feesten?
A 37-year-old man found unconscious at the Antilliaanse Feesten campsite in Hoogstraten on 8 August 2026 probably died from carbon-monoxide poisoning, according to preliminary forensic findings reported by the Antwerp Public Prosecutor’s Office. A small barbecue was found in his tent, but toxicology results were still pending. The practical lesson is unequivocal: never use or leave a charcoal, gas or disposable barbecue inside a tent, awning, caravan or other enclosed shelter, even after the flames appear to be out.
The incident illustrates a camping hazard that is difficult to detect without equipment: carbon monoxide has no colour or smell, while initial symptoms can resemble tiredness, dehydration or intoxication. Festival visitors should keep every fuel-burning barbecue, stove, heater and generator outside enclosed sleeping or living spaces and call 112 when CO exposure is suspected.
A 37-year-old festivalgoer died after he was found unconscious in his tent at the campsite in on Saturday 8 August 2026, and preliminary forensic findings now point to carbon-monoxide poisoning. The said a small barbecue was found inside the tent and that an autopsy supported CO poisoning as the probable cause, although toxicology testing had yet to provide final confirmation. For anyone camping at a Belgian festival, the immediate takeaway is simple: a barbecue belongs outdoors and must never be taken into a tent, awning, campervan or other enclosed space, including when its coals are only smouldering.
The man was discovered alone and unconscious during the afternoon on the campsite at the Blauwbossen in , part of the municipality — gemeente in Dutch, commune in French — of in . Bystanders raised the alarm and emergency personnel tried to save him, but he died at the scene, according to ’s initial report. Mayor Tinne Rombouts said that bystanders and the emergency services had responded quickly. The festival organisation expressed its condolences to the man’s relatives and friends.
The cause was not immediately known. On 11 August, , citing Belga and the Antwerp prosecutor’s office, reported that the autopsy appeared to indicate carbon-monoxide poisoning. The discovery of the barbecue supported that hypothesis. Prosecutors nevertheless ordered toxicological analysis to exclude other explanations; at that stage, they said there was no indication of drug use. That distinction matters: CO poisoning was the leading forensic conclusion, not yet a final toxicology result.
## Why a cooling barbecue remains dangerous
Carbon monoxide, or CO, forms when carbon-containing fuels such as charcoal, wood, gas or petrol burn without enough oxygen. Belgium’s — in French — describes it as a colourless, odourless and potentially fatal gas. People cannot reliably see, smell or taste the danger.
A barbecue does not become safe merely because the visible flames have disappeared. The warns that smouldering charcoal can produce substantial quantities of CO. In a tent, the gas can accumulate while the available oxygen falls. Opening a flap or relying on a tent’s ventilation panels is not a safety measure; the appliance and its coals must remain completely outside and away from sleeping areas.
Early symptoms can include headache, dizziness, nausea, unusual tiredness, confusion or vomiting. These signs are easily mistaken at a festival for dehydration, lack of sleep or the effects of alcohol. If several people in the same shelter develop similar symptoms, or someone becomes unexpectedly drowsy or unconscious near a combustion appliance, everyone should move into fresh air and treat the situation as a possible CO emergency.
## What to do if you suspect CO poisoning
The ’s official guidance says to call Belgium’s emergency number 112 immediately in a suspected CO poisoning. Do not enter an enclosed space to retrieve an unconscious person if doing so could expose you to the gas. From a safe position, tell the operator where you are, whether anyone is unconscious and that carbon monoxide may be involved. At a festival, alert campsite stewards or the medical post as well, but do not let that delay the 112 call.
Useful wording is “Ik vermoed CO-vergiftiging” in Dutch or “Je soupçonne une intoxication au monoxyde de carbone” in French. International visitors can say “suspected carbon-monoxide poisoning” and give the festival name, campsite zone, gate or numbered pitch. The 112 BE app, provided through Belgium’s emergency services, can help transmit a caller’s location, but it is sensible to download and configure it before travelling rather than during an emergency.
The Poison Centre’s general number, 070 245 245, handles many accidental exposures. Its website specifically directs people to 112 instead when a situation may be life-threatening or involves suspected CO poisoning. That is the important Belgian institutional distinction: for this danger, emergency medical response comes first.
## A festival tragedy with a wider camping lesson
has brought Caribbean, Latin and Afro music to since 1983. Its 2026 programme ran from 6 to 8 August, and the campsite is a central part of the event’s social character. The death does not alter that cultural identity, but it exposes a recurring risk wherever festival weather turns cold or wet and campers improvise warmth.
The hazard is broader than charcoal grills. Camping stoves, gas burners, portable heaters and generators can all produce carbon monoxide when fuels burn in enclosed or poorly ventilated places. A tent’s thin fabric does not make it equivalent to open air. Awnings, gazebos with closed sides, car boots and vans can also trap combustion gases.
For organisers, the case raises practical questions about how clearly campsite rules explain CO hazards, whether warnings reach visitors in multiple languages and how staff respond when cooking equipment is seen near sleeping areas. For campers, the safer answers are mundane but effective: bring an adequately rated sleeping bag, dry layers and an insulated mat; cook only in permitted outdoor areas; extinguish equipment there; and leave it outside until fully cold.
The Antwerp prosecutor’s toxicology findings remain the next evidential step. Until those results are released, the precise medical chain leading to the man’s death should not be stated as definitively established. The prevention message, however, does not depend on that final report: no fuel-burning barbecue or stove is safe inside a tent.
Impact
Regional — The death occurred in Minderhout, a deelgemeente of Hoogstraten in Antwerp province. It may prompt the municipality, festival organisers and local emergency planners to review multilingual campsite warnings and enforcement around cooking and heating equipment.
Local — The incident is directly anchored in Minderhout, a deelgemeente of Hoogstraten in Antwerp province, where the Antilliaanse Feesten campsite was located. Festival organisers, Hoogstraten authorities and local emergency planners may use the case when reviewing campsite rules, cooking-equipment controls and multilingual safety warnings. For visitors to festivals and campsites in the area, the immediate local lesson is to keep barbecues and every other fuel-burning appliance completely outside tents, awnings, caravans and enclosed sleeping or living spaces.
What it means for you
If you are camping at a Belgian festival, never bring a charcoal, gas or disposable barbecue into a tent, awning, caravan or other enclosed shelter, including after cooking or when the flames appear extinguished. Keep stoves, heaters and generators outside as well. Carbon monoxide cannot be seen or smelled, and headache, dizziness, nausea or unusual drowsiness may resemble dehydration, fatigue or intoxication. If exposure is suspected, leave the enclosed space immediately, move into fresh air and call Belgium’s emergency number 112. Do not wait for symptoms to worsen.
Opposing perspectives
- Forensic investigators
The Antwerp Public Prosecutor’s Office treated carbon-monoxide poisoning as the probable explanation supported by the autopsy and the barbecue found in the tent, while retaining toxicology testing as a necessary step before the medical conclusion could be considered final.
- Festival and camping-safety authorities
For prevention purposes, the uncertainty over the final toxicology result does not weaken the established guidance: charcoal and other fuel-burning appliances must never be used or left smouldering in tents, awnings, vehicles or similarly enclosed shelters.
Who, where and what
Key people, places and terms in this story
112 is Belgium’s emergency number for urgent danger, including life-threatening situations, fires, ambulance needs or police emergencies. It matters because residents are repeatedly instructed to use it only for immediate danger, while non-urgent storm or water-damage reports should avoid it.
Belgian province containing Hoogstraten and Minderhout.
Deelgemeente of Hoogstraten where the festival campsite incident occurred.
Municipality in Antwerp province hosting Antilliaanse Feesten.
Belgian newspaper cited as a source for reporting on the death.
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Deelgemeente of Hoogstraten where the festival campsite incident occurred.
Municipality in Antwerp province hosting Antilliaanse Feesten.
Belgian province containing Hoogstraten and Minderhout.
112 is Belgium’s emergency number for urgent danger, including life-threatening situations, fires, ambulance needs or police emergencies. It matters because residents are repeatedly instructed to use it only for immediate danger, while non-urgent storm or water-damage reports should avoid it.
Caribbean, Latin and Afro music festival whose campsite was the location of the death.
Belgian newspaper cited as a source for reporting on the death.
Investigating authority that reported the preliminary finding of probable carbon-monoxide poisoning.
Belgian Poison Centre providing medical-safety guidance on carbon monoxide and barbecues.
French-language name of Belgium’s Poison Centre.
English-language Belgian news outlet cited as a source for the preliminary findings.
Sources & evidence
- View sourceDe StandaardPrimaryprimary· standaard.be· 8 August 2026Retrieved 29 August 2026· 55 days ago· Dated
- View sourceThe Brussels Timescorroborating· brusselstimes.com· 11 August 2026Retrieved 29 August 2026· 52 days ago· Dated
- View sourceBelgian Poison Centre — Antigifcentrum/Centre Antipoisonsofficial· antigifcentrum.beRetrieved 29 August 2026
- View sourceBelgian Poison Centre — Barbecues as a source of CO poisoningofficial· antigifcentrum.be· 1 May 2014Retrieved 29 August 2026· 4537 days ago· Dated
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This briefing was prepared with AI assistance and reviewed by a Belgium Impulse editor before publication. methodology.