The reveler who died at the annual Burning Man festival has been identified as a 32-year-old man, authorities announced Monday – as thousands of stranded partygoers faced hours-long traffic jams to escape the muddy grounds of Black Rock desert.
Leon Reece was found unresponsive around 6:24 p.m. Friday as the festival was hit by heavy rain, Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen said in a statement Monday night.
The cause of his death has yet to be determined, and an investigation is underway.
Authorities previously said Reece’s death did not appear to be weather-related, but Allen said stormy conditions delayed efforts to send help.
“Pershing County dispatch received a call regarding an unresponsive male subject on the ground at the Burning Man Festival and medical personnel are performing CPR on the male,” Allen said in a statement.
“Due to the unusual rainfall event in Playa, access to the area and investigative efforts have been suspended.
“Upon the arrival of Pershing County Sheriff’s Office deputies, medics at the festival had already pronounced the male subject, later identified as Leon Reece, a 32-year-old man, deceased.”
Nearly 70,000 Burning Man attendees were finally able to leave Nevada’s Black Rock Desert on Monday. via REUTERS
Traffic engulfed their desperate attempt to leave for five hours. BOOMY JENSEN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
He said deputies interviewed witnesses and medical responders but could not immediately determine Reece’s cause of death.
The victim was taken to the Washoe County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy.
Allen also used his statement to deny rumors of Ebola spreading at the camp site.
“In consultation with the Bureau of Land Management and the Human Burning Project, there is no validity to any report on the Ebola outbreak, or any other disease,” he said in a statement.
Burning Man attendees were trapped in campsites for days following a storm that created thick mud.via REUTERS
Doctors have warned attendees to take care of their health while they are stuck in the muddy desert for days. via REUTERS
Doctors have warned the attendees to take care of their health while they are stuck in the muddy desert for several days.
Stagnant water, porta pots and cold weather put festival-goers at risk of hypothermia, foodborne illness and COVID-19, medical experts told Business Insider.
Revelers were also urged to save food and water amid the flooding.
But they were finally able to leave Black Rock City on Monday afternoon when local officials lifted the travel ban.
Festival goers get stuck in an epic traffic jam on the 5 mile long dirt road to the nearest highway.
Burning Man Traffic Account on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) estimated departure times at 6 hours early Tuesday — as organizers urged people to delay their departures until late Tuesday.
The area where the annual festival takes place is known as La Playa.via REUTERS
Aerial view of the annual event in the Black Rock Desert. Satellite image ©2023 Maxar Tech/AFP via Getty Images
Attendees were also asked not to exit the Black Rock Desert as others – including comedian Chris Rock and DJ Diplo – did over the weekend.
The pair apparently walked six miles on Saturday through mud before climbing into the back of a fan’s pickup truck, according to a video posted on Instagram by Diplo, whose real name is Thomas Wesley Pentz.
But some revelers still abandoned their vehicles and personal possessions in a desperate attempt to get out of the desert as quickly as possible, Allen told the San Francisco Chronicle, as he lashed out at frustrated and “angry” attendees.
Some revelers were desperate to get away leaving behind their vehicles and personal belongings. AFP via Getty Images
He said they “showed no mercy to their fellows who have had the same problem for the past few days” as they tried to leave the desert Monday night.
“As is common in what Burners refer to as the ‘default world,’ people allow their emotions to override their rationality, and they argue with each other as they leave Playa and try to get to their next destination,” Allen said. told the Chronicle.
“This behavior is definitely not included in the 10 principles of Burning Man, but that’s not his fault [the Burning Man Project] either, but it is a community issue.”
The organizers of Burning Man are ultimately responsible for the cleanup of the Playa – the name given to the site of the festival – as well as the entrances and exits, Allen said.
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
