Burning Man Festival, which recently commenced on Sunday, August 25, 2024, has taken a turn for the worse. A mysterious death has occurred and people have begun to worry. The festival will continue to be held and will run until September 2nd.
Not even one day after the beginning of the festival, a woman was found unresponsive. She was later pronounced dead.
What Happened to Her?
At 11:28 am on the morning of the start of the concert, the woman was discovered by other people at the festival and an emergency response team was called to come assist her.
They gave the woman medical attention to the best of their ability, however she passed away shortly after at 11:37 am.
Who Was it?
The woman has just been identified as 39 year old Kendra Frazer. It has not been disclosed where she is from.
Her next of kin will be notified of her unfortunate circumstances.
How Did She Die?
The autopsy is being conducted and the results will be analyzed upon completion. As of right now, her cause of death is unknown.
The final cause of death could take months to figure out. Multiple organizations are looking further into her situation. The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office will be carrying out an investigation and the Washoe County Medical Examiner is looking into the cause of death.
A Statement From the Festival
Burning Man Festival released a statement to the public about the woman’s death. They wrote, “It is with heavy hearts that Burning Man Project confirms the death of a participant in Black Rock City in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. Our thoughts and condolences go out to the family and friends affected by this loss. The participant has been identified by the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office.”
The statement continued on to disclose how much the festival values safety and how important it is to them that everyone in attendance stays healthy. They also made a commitment to investigate the woman’s death further.
What is Burning Man?
Burning Man Festival takes place every year in the Black Rock City in Nevada. It lasts a week long and people travel from all over the world to attend the event. The festival focuses on art and expression and attendees are encouraged to embrace their creativity and contribute to the art that the festival promotes.
The main event of the festival is the “Burning of the Man,” which is also how the festival gets its name. Everyone gathers to watch the large wooden man become engulfed in flames.
This Isn’t the First Time…
There was a death that occurred at Burning Man Festival last year as well. Leon Reece, a 32 year old man, was found unresponsive and later pronounced dead. It is suspected that drug use was the cause of his death.
This makes two deaths in two years at the same festival, causing reason for worry about the safety of the participants of this event.
And Again?!
Back in 2017, a 41 year old man named Aaron Joel Mitchell ran into the flames during the “Burning of the Man.” He was able to get past security and reach the middle of the event where he faced severe burn wounds.
Aaron Joel Mitchell was then lifted out of the festival grounds and taken to the hospital where he received medical care. Unfortunately his burn wounds were too severe and he passed away later on.
Damaging Reputation
Safety measures during festivals are extremely important to ensure the health and wellness of all festival goers. When people put themselves in situations where they are faced with long periods of standing, extreme heat, and lack of hydration, extra precautions must be investigated to confirm the safety of everyone involved.
Future attendance may be negatively affected and people will be more skeptical to attend the festival as a whole.
What is Black Rock City?
The festival takes place in a city called Black Rock City. This is a city created by the attendees of the festival and is made up of campsites, art installations, and more. This occurs in the desert where the festival goers are responsible for setting up the entire festival and also cleaning it all up afterwards.
People must be aware of their surroundings and make sure they are attending to their needs to stay safe. It gets hot in the desert and people need to make sure they have enough sustenance to ensure their hea;th throughout the duration of the weeklong festival.
