Authorities have confirmed that a third individual has passed away at the Burning Man festival, following the recent announcement of two other fatalities during the annual gathering in Nevada’s desert. The Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office stated that Armando Ramirez from Truckee, California, died while being transported to a hospital in Reno, located approximately 190 kilometers south of the festival. The 51-year-old was declared deceased in the ambulance in the early hours of Friday. The cause and manner of death are pending further testing, according to the examiner’s office, which also mentioned that there are no suspicions of foul play.
The festival, known for its focus on art installations and self-expression during its week-long duration in the desert, revealed the deaths of two other attendees. Craigh Mann, 60, was discovered dead on Saturday around 3 p.m. local time, as reported by the festival. The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office, referring to him as Craig Mann, disclosed that he was found in a trailer he shared with his partner. Additionally, a man in his mid-50s, identified as Sampson Tshombe, had a medical emergency and was pronounced dead after receiving immediate medical attention at the festival’s temporary hospital on Thursday.
Authorities stated that no foul play was suspected in the deaths of Mann and Tshombe, but autopsies and toxicology screenings will be conducted, with results expected in six to eight weeks. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the festival, which commenced on August 30 and concluded on Monday. Each year, a large number of individuals gather in the desert to camp and engage in avant-garde performances, culminating in the burning of a massive wooden sculpture resembling a man.
The festival has unfortunately witnessed fatalities in the past. Several deaths have been recorded at the event since its relocation from Baker Beach in San Francisco to the Black Rock desert in 1990. Jerry Allen, Pershing County sheriff and coroner, mentioned in a statement on Monday that the festival typically experiences an average of one death annually, as reported by NBC News.