Burning Man Festival Case: Officials revealed more information about the death of a Burning Man festivalgoer in Nevada on Monday evening, verifying that the victim was a 32-year-old man who died on September 1.
Leon Reece was discovered unresponsive at approximately 6:24 p.m. on Friday, during torrential rains at the festival. The unusual rainfall in the Nevada desert resulted in thick mud that confined festival attendees for several days. According to investigators, Reece’s cause of death has not yet been determined.
Previously, investigators stated that the weekend’s weather appeared unrelated to Reece’s demise. Sheriff Jerry Allen of Pershing County issued a statement Monday night stating that efforts to dispatch aid were delayed by the stormy weather.
“Pershing County dispatch received a call regarding an unresponsive male on the ground at the Burning Man Festival, where medical personnel were administering CPR,” Allen said.
“Because of the unusual rainfall on the Playa, access to the region and investigation efforts were delayed. The male subject, subsequently identified as Leon Reece, a 32-year-old male, was pronounced dead prior to the arrival of Pershing County Sheriff’s Office Deputies.
Despite interviewing witnesses and medical personnel, deputies were unable to promptly determine Reece’s cause of death. Currently, an investigation and toxicology report are being conducted.
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Burning Man Festival Case: Fatality Identified as 32-Year-Old Leon Reece
Over 75,000 people attend the annual Burning Man festival in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. Those partygoers are typically warned of the risk of dehydration in the remote desert. This year’s festival, however, took a terrifying turn when heavy rains turned the temporary city into a mud pit, stranding the majority of attendees until Monday, when festival organisers proclaimed a safe “exodus” from the campsite.
Those who were stranded were instructed to conserve food and water. Social media amplified rumours of fatalities at the festival, which contributed to unease. “A couple of people didn’t make it,” a Burning Man attendee said in a video that went viral after the flood. (A single fatality has been documented.) These concerns were exacerbated by a hoax concerning the spread of Ebola among stranded partygoers.
Allen stated on Monday that these rumours are false, although physicians had previously advised Burning Man attendees to monitor their health while trapped on the flooded plain. Insider previously reported that stagnant water, portable toilets, and cold weather could place campers at risk for hypothermia, food-borne illnesses, and COVID-19. It was anticipated that these dangers would increase the longer campers remained at the festival. Monday night, however, Burning Man attendees were reportedly driving out in massive numbers.
Allen stated, “In consultation with the Bureau of Land Management and the Burning Man Project, there is no validity to any Ebola or other disease outbreak reports.”
