UCSB student dies after fentanyl exposure at “Deltopia” weekend event

A UC Santa Barbara student died from fentanyl exposure at a party for Deltopia, the annual unsanctioned street festival that was held this past weekend.

The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office (SBSO) responded to a medical emergency for an unconscious subject on the 800 block of Camino Del Sur on April 8 at 5:45 p.m. and was transported from the scene, according to SBSO Public Information Officer Raquel Zick.

The patient, third-year physics major Jude Quirinale, died from a multiple substance overdose on April 12, according to Zick.

The family of the deceased student, Jude Quirinale, created an online fundraiser on April 11 to provide for afterlife services. 

Aidan Quirinale shared that his brother was “laced with Fentanyl and died almost instantly but was resuscitated by emergency services and brought to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital,” the GoFundMe page read.

“Our family is told there is no way of bringing him back due to the fact he was without a heartbeat for 20 minutes,” the GoFundMe continued. “So he’s been on life support for a couple days and we have to take him off the respirator as we feel it’s best for his suffering.”

[UPDATE April 14, 2023 11:45 a.m.]: This article has been updated with information from the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office.