Authorities have officially reported the passing of a third individual at the Burning Man festival, following the recent announcement of two other fatalities during 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, approximately 190 kilometers south of the festival. The 51-year-old was declared deceased in the ambulance during the early hours of Friday. The examiner’s office mentioned that the cause and manner of death are awaiting additional test results and assured that foul play is not suspected.
The festival, known for its focus on art installations and self-expression, confirmed two other deaths which were also corroborated by the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday. Craigh Mann, aged 60, was discovered deceased on Saturday around 3 p.m. local time, as per festival statements. The sheriff’s office, referring to him as Craig Mann, noted that he was found in a trailer he shared with his significant other. Additionally, a man in his mid-50s, identified as Sampson Tshombe, suffered a medical emergency and was pronounced dead after receiving urgent medical attention while at the festival’s temporary hospital on Thursday.
Authorities clarified that there were no indications of foul play in the deaths of Mann or Tshombe, but both cases will undergo autopsy 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. Every year, numerous individuals gather in the desert to engage in camping and avant-garde performances, culminating in the symbolic burning of a large wooden sculpture resembling a man.
The festival has a history of tragic incidents, with over half a dozen reported deaths since its relocation from Baker Beach in San Francisco to the Black Rock desert in 1990, according to The Associated Press. Pershing County Sheriff and Coroner, Jerry Allen, mentioned in a statement on Monday that the festival typically records one fatality annually, as reported by NBC News.