A man has died after leaping into the flames at the Burning Man festival in Nevada on Saturday.
The man shocked other festival goers when he dodged a number of rangers and law enforcement personnels then jumped into the flames from the burning giant wooden effigy at about 10:30 p.m.. He was immediately rescued and airlifted to the hospital but later died form his injuries.
Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen said the man ran through a human-chain of security officers at about 10:30 p.m. Saturday during the Man Burn event at the counter-culture festival.
The sheriff said the man was rescued by firefighters and later died at the UC Davis hospital burn center in California. Festival organizers earlier issued a statement through its website to say that at “approximately 10.30pm Saturday evening, a male participant at the annual Burning Man event in Northern Nevada broke through a safety perimeter and leapt into a fire.
Black Rock City fire personnel rescued him from the fire.” The man was treated on scene, transported to the on-site medical facility, and airlifted to a burn center. Officials issued an update late on Sunday to confirm that he had later passed away. More than 70,000 people are enjoying the art and music celebration in the Black Rock Desert, about 100 miles north of Reno, Nevada.
The nine-day event culminates with the burning of a towering 50-foot effigy made of wood. Attendees have tried to run into the flames as a symbol of rebirth. During the fiery destruction of the 50-foot- tall man, thousands of participants danced and partied at the annual event, which is held two hours north of Reno on an ancient dry lake bed. Saturday marked the height of the art and music festival celebration, where Burners had gathered to witness the lighting of the symbolic ritual burning of the huge wooden effigy.
