A third person has died in connection with Burning Man 2026, bringing the total number of fatalities tied to this year’s gathering to three.
The latest attendee died while being transported from the remote Nevada desert to a hospital in Reno, according to Pershing County Sheriff and Coroner Jerry Allen. The individual’s name, age, and cause of death have not been disclosed.
Allen stated that the death occurred outside his jurisdiction, leaving additional questions for authorities in Washoe County.
The news came as the weeklong festival concluded Monday, with thousands of attendees beginning their departure from Black Rock City.
Local officials reported that the two earlier fatalities remain under investigation. Autopsy and toxicology results for those individuals are expected within six to eight weeks.
The first death was reported Thursday at Rampart, Burning Man’s temporary hospital. Authorities identified the man as Sampson Tshombe, who was in his mid-50s. Investigators found he had been discovered unresponsive on a street inside the festival. Emergency personnel performed CPR for several minutes before an on-site doctor declared him dead. No outward signs of foul play were noted, but Tshombe’s medical history was not immediately available.
Two days later, another incident led to deputies being called back to Black Rock City. The Burning Man Project identified the second man as Craigh Mann, 60. Organizers reported that his campmates found him dead at his camp around 3 p.m. Saturday. The organization expressed condolences to Mann’s family and friends and stated that support resources remained available within the festival.
Authorities found no outward signs of foul play in Mann’s death. His body, like Tshombe’s, was sent to the Washoe County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy and toxicology screening.
The organizer’s account confirms when and where Mann was found but does not specify a suspected medical cause. The case remains distinct from Tshombe’s earlier emergency, with the medical examiner’s findings being critical for both investigations.
This year’s festival concluded at 6 p.m. Monday, though many attendees continued leaving after formal closing. The event had faced challenges including rain that turned sections of the playa into mud, temporarily closing entrances and exits and shutting down the event’s airport for a period. High winds also complicated travel conditions.
No cause of death has been announced in any of the three cases. There is no public evidence linking the fatalities to one another. The sheriff described the number as unusual, noting that his office typically sees one death annually related to Burning Man. Three deaths would significantly exceed that average.
The third case remains unclear: officials have not disclosed where the medical emergency began, what symptoms prompted transport, or which agency handled the response. This has led the incident to shift to Washoe County jurisdiction.
Medical emergencies at Burning Man often unfold far from major hospitals due to the event’s remote location. For now, the public record shows three deaths with two autopsies underway and the newest case in a different jurisdiction.
The investigations are ongoing and will determine what authorities can say about the circumstances of each death.
