A second Burning Man festivalgoer was found dead in their campsite on Saturday afternoon, according to the festival organizers. The 60-year-old attendee, identified as Craigh Mann, was discovered by campmates at the annual nine-day event held in Black Rock City, Nevada. The cause of death has not been released.
This incident follows the earlier death of another participant in his mid-50s who experienced a medical emergency. Despite receiving lifesaving measures and transport to an onsite emergency care center, he was pronounced deceased. "Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the participant's family, friends, campmates, and all those affected by this loss," the Burning Man Project said in a statement regarding both deaths.
Earlier in the week, heavy rains caused the closure of the festival's main entry and exit gates. Organizers advised those planning to attend to delay their travel and instructed attendees already at the event to avoid driving their vehicles due to the hazardous weather conditions.
The Burning Man festival, known for its principles of self-expression and self-reliance, began in 1986 and has been running for 40 years. This year's event commenced on August 30 and is scheduled to conclude on Labor Day Monday. In 2019, attendance neared 80,000 people, though numbers have reportedly been decreasing since then. In a separate incident last year, a 37-year-old man was found dead from what was described as the event's first homicide, having been fatally stabbed in the neck inside a tent.