Authorities have confirmed the passing of a third individual at the Burning Man festival, following earlier reports of two deaths at the annual event in the Nevada desert. The Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office disclosed on Tuesday that Armando Ramirez from Truckee, California, passed away while en route to a hospital in Reno, Nevada, around 190 kilometers south of the festival. The 51-year-old was declared deceased in the ambulance in the early hours of Friday. The examiner’s office stated that the cause and manner of death are pending further testing, emphasizing no suspicion of foul play.
The festival, known for its art installations and celebration of self-expression, acknowledged two other fatalities last week. One of them, Craigh Mann, aged 60, was discovered deceased on Saturday around 3 p.m. local time. The festival’s statement was corroborated by the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office, which referred to him as Craig Mann and mentioned that he was found in a trailer he shared with his partner. Additionally, a man in his mid-50s, identified as Sampson Tshombe, suffered a medical emergency and passed away after receiving urgent medical attention at the festival’s temporary hospital on Thursday.
While no foul play is suspected in the deaths of Mann and Tshombe, authorities have planned autopsies and toxicology screenings, with results expected in six to eight weeks. This year marks the festival’s 40th anniversary, commencing on August 30 and concluding on Monday, drawing tens of thousands of attendees to camp in the wilderness and engage in avant-garde performances, culminating in the burning of a large wooden sculpture resembling a man.
Tragically, fatalities have occurred at the festival in the past. Since relocating from Baker Beach in San Francisco to the Black Rock desert in 1990, over half a dozen deaths have been reported. Pershing County Sheriff and Coroner Jerry Allen noted in a statement on Monday that the festival averages one fatality annually, according to NBC News.