Over the weekend, officials and event planners confirmed a woman passed away at the Burning Man arts festival. Although the circumstances surrounding her death were not immediately obvious, law enforcement has acknowledged that an inquiry is under way to ascertain what happened.
The organizers posted on the festival's website members of the emergency services team discovered the 39-year-old Kendra Frazer unresponsive at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Sunday morning, the opening day of Burning Man's weeklong event schedule.
Read Also: How much does it cost to go to Burning Man?
Organizers stated the responders tried life-saving actions on the woman who finally failed, and sheriff's deputies eventually declared her dead upon arriving at the site.
According to Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen, whose jurisdiction spans 45 miles from the remote Black Rock Desert in Nevada where Burning Man takes place, the emergency dispatch from Burning Man notified the sheriff's office about "the potential death of a participant".
The sheriff said in a statement, "Deputy responded to the address provided and confirmed the death of a female participant." He said, the office's inquiry into her death will remain under open review while an autopsy is carried out to ascertain her official cause and manner of death. For further information, CBS News contacted the Pershing County Sheriff's Office; unfortunately, we have not heard back.
The woman's friends and relatives were sent sympathies from the sheriff as well as from the festival planners. Organizers said they "understand that this news will be difficult for many in our community" and pointed out that, as would members of Burning Man's crisis care team, desert rangers would be on hand around-the-clock to offer peer support.
"Our staff's and our community's safety and well-being come first," they declared. "We are completely helping local authorities look into this occurrence. Every death reported in Pershing County Sheriff's territory is looked at. We will not be adding more specifics at this time out of respect for the bereaved family's privacy.
Every year, Burning Man attracts about 80,000 people to the desert playa in northwest Nevada, where participants create a temporary city and camp together in what is said to be a totally self-sustaining community with an eye toward art. Officially rejecting the description of Burning Man as a festival, organizers describe to it as "a city wherein almost everything that happens is created entirely by its citizens, who are active participants in the experience." At the end of the event every year, the attendees finally destroy the "city".
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Karl Jablonski
Over the weekend, officials and event planners confirmed a woman passed away at the Burning Man arts festival. Although the circumstances surrounding her death were not immediately obvious, law enforcement has acknowledged that an inquiry is under way to ascertain what happened.
The organizers posted on the festival's website members of the emergency services team discovered the 39-year-old Kendra Frazer unresponsive at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Sunday morning, the opening day of Burning Man's weeklong event schedule.
Read Also: How much does it cost to go to Burning Man?
Organizers stated the responders tried life-saving actions on the woman who finally failed, and sheriff's deputies eventually declared her dead upon arriving at the site.
According to Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen, whose jurisdiction spans 45 miles from the remote Black Rock Desert in Nevada where Burning Man takes place, the emergency dispatch from Burning Man notified the sheriff's office about "the potential death of a participant".
The sheriff said in a statement, "Deputy responded to the address provided and confirmed the death of a female participant." He said, the office's inquiry into her death will remain under open review while an autopsy is carried out to ascertain her official cause and manner of death. For further information, CBS News contacted the Pershing County Sheriff's Office; unfortunately, we have not heard back.
The woman's friends and relatives were sent sympathies from the sheriff as well as from the festival planners. Organizers said they "understand that this news will be difficult for many in our community" and pointed out that, as would members of Burning Man's crisis care team, desert rangers would be on hand around-the-clock to offer peer support.
"Our staff's and our community's safety and well-being come first," they declared. "We are completely helping local authorities look into this occurrence. Every death reported in Pershing County Sheriff's territory is looked at. We will not be adding more specifics at this time out of respect for the bereaved family's privacy.
Every year, Burning Man attracts about 80,000 people to the desert playa in northwest Nevada, where participants create a temporary city and camp together in what is said to be a totally self-sustaining community with an eye toward art. Officially rejecting the description of Burning Man as a festival, organizers describe to it as "a city wherein almost everything that happens is created entirely by its citizens, who are active participants in the experience." At the end of the event every year, the attendees finally destroy the "city".
You May Also Like: How is the investigation into the death of a woman on the first day of the Burning Man Festival proceeding?