Burning Man festival attendee's suspected cause of death revealed – live - The Independent

Burning Man exodus 2023: Festival attendee’s suspected cause of death revealed as mass exodus continues | The Independent

Burning Man festival attendee’s suspected cause of death revealed as mass exodus continues – live

Exodus from the Burning Man festival continues with officials saying frustrated attendees ‘lashed out’ at each other in the chaos

Andrea Blanco,

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar,

Ariana Baio,
Kelly Rissman Comments

Officials have revealed the suspected cause of death for the man who died at Burning Man as the festival descended into chaos with heavy rainfall, flooding and muddy conditions.

The man, identified as 32-year-old Leon Reece, was found unresponsive on the playa on Friday with emergency responders unable to revive him. The exact cause of Reece’s death is still pending but the Washoe County Medical Examiner’s Office said in a statement on Tuesday that drug intoxication was suspected.

Attendees finally began leaving the city at Black Rock City on Monday afternoon after the extreme weather subsided and organisers reopened the route to vehicles.

Tempers frayed during the exodus with Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen saying that attendees “lashed out” at each other as they waited to leave the desert.

While Exodus wait times reached as much as seven hours, by Wednesday morning they were down to just 20 minutes, according to the latest social media post from the festival.

Officials also debunked a conspiracy theory that the festival was hit with an Ebola outbreak.
1694077200

In Photos: Burning Man 2023

Attendees dance during the annual Burning Man Festival in the early morning of September 5, 2023

Attendees gather during the annual Burning Man Festival on September 4, 2023. Thousands of revelers stuck in the mud for days at the Burning Man festival in the US state of Nevada were told they could finally trek home on September 4, 2023

Attendees look at art cars during the annual Burning Man Festival on September 4, 2023
1694070000

Marjorie Taylor Greene claims Burning Man disaster was an ‘act of God’

Marjorie Taylor Greene has claimed that Burning Man revellers are being “brainwashed” into believing the washout has been caused by the climate crisis – which she claims was an act of God.

The Republican congresswoman and notorious conspiracy theorist joined fellow conspiracy theorist Alex Jones on his Info Wars show on Sunday night, where they both launched into their beliefs about the festival in the Nevada desert.

“There’s 73 to 75,000 in the Nevada desert right now at this Burning Man. They’re locked in,” the far-right lawmaker said.

Rachel Sharp reports:

Marjorie Taylor Greene claims Burning Man disaster was an ‘act of God’

Rampant – and debunked – conspiracy theories have spread online about the chaotic festival in the Nevada desert
1694062800

Ted Cruz tries to reclaim joke amid Burning Man chaos after he fell for shark hoax

After falling for the “Hurricane Shark” hoax during Tropical Storm Hilary, Ted Cruz wanted to let everyone know he was in on the joke this time.

The Texas senator, and prolific content creator, shared a doctored image on Tuesday purporting to show a shark on a flooded highway near the Burning Man festival on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Holy crap,” Mr Cruz wrote, along with a crossed fingers emoji, to indicate he was in on the ruse.

The shark meme, which began circulating in 2011, has become an infamous online prank well-known to most savvy social media users, but apparently not Mr Cruz.

Last month, after it was posted to X (formerly known as Twitter) during a tropical storm that unleashed widespread flooding in California, Mr Cruz reposted the picture and wrote: “Holy crap.”

After being mocked for falling for the scam, the senator added: “I’m told this is a joke. In LA, you never know... And everyone please stay safe from the storm or otherwise.”
1694055653

How Chris Rock and Diplo escaped Burning Man

Chris Rock and Diplo have shared their experience of escaping Burning Man festival , with some 73,000 attendees stranded in the desert following heavy downpours in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert.

Diplo shared a video of the pair fleeing the chaos to Twitter/X, writing in the caption: “Just walked five miles in the mud out of Burning Man with Chris Rock and a fan picked us up.”
1694048453

Watch: Burning Man revellers build mud sculptures

Burning Man revellers build mud sculptures as thousands stranded after floods

Burning Man revellers built mud sculptures and waded through the dirt as partying continued despite chaos leaving thousands stranded at the Nevada desert festival after severe flooding. One person has died during the event, but local law enforcement are yet to identify the individual and reveal the suspected cause of death. Tens of thousands of attendees remain stranded at the site in the Black Rock desert after the extreme weather. Revellers were left to trudge through mud, many barefoot or wearing plastic bags on their feet, after being urged to shelter in place and conserve food, water and other supplies over the weekend.
1694041253

Recap: Burning Man fans share heartbreak as desert venue is flooded by storm

Burning Man festivalgoers are voicing their distress after the Black Rock City, Nevada, venue was hit with torrential rains during Tropical Storm Hilary this week.

Pictures and videos of the flooded playa have been circulating on social media, with organisers asking attendees to “please be patient”.

“It’s not something we typically see,” Justin Collins, a forecaster with the weather service’s Reno office, told SFGATE.com. “All this rain all at once is pretty unusual in summer. You see it in winter more.”

Tom Murray reports:

Burning Man attendees share heartbreak as desert venue is flooded by storm

‘The desert doesn’t absorb. It’s like a pool being drained onto a tile floor,’ one person commented on social media
1694037653

Viral country star Oliver Anthony among those ‘trapped’ at Burning Man

Oliver Anthony, the country artist behind the viral hit “Rich Men North of Richmond”, is apparently among those stranded at Burning Man festival in Nevada.

The annual arts festival has been plunged into chaos after rare, severe rains flooded the Black Rock Desert, leaving behind thick mud, which has grounded vehicles.

More than 70,000 “Burners”, as the festival’s attendees are referred to, were urged to hunker down and conserve supplies.

Anthony, 31, was scheduled to be interviewed by the socialist political journal Midwestern Marx on Sunday (3 September); however, in a live stream, its presenters said the singer was “trapped” at Burning Man.

“Our man Oliver Anthony has been trapped in the flooding at Burning Man, this is what he told us over email,” one of the show’s three hosts explained.
1694034000

CDC confirms no Ebola, Mpox or Marbug at Burning Man

In a statement provided to The Independent, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) confirmed there are no reports of Ebola at Burning Man.

“CDC has not received any reports of Ebola at the Burning Man Festival and has not issued any warnings or had any requests for assistance from the state and local health departments either,” a spokesperson for the CDC said.

“Additionally, we have not received reports of Mpox or Marburg, and to our knowledge a national emergency for the flooding has not been declared.”
1694030453

Diplo pokes fun at Burning Man in recap post
1694026853

What’s it really like to survive nine days in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert?

The infamous gathering (it’s most definitely not a festival) just finished for another year – but what’s it actually like to pitch up for the full nine days?

Claire Dodd reports:

This is what it's really like to spend nine days at Burning Man

The infamous gathering (it’s most definitely not a festival) just finished for another year – but what’s it actually like to pitch up for the full nine days?