USA · 09 September, 2026 · 3 min read
Third Burning Man Festivalgoer Dies After Transport to Reno-Area Hospital, Sheriff Jerry Allen Says
A third Burning Man attendee died en route to a Reno-area hospital. Victim identified as Armando Ramirez, 51, of Truckee, California.
Whether the third victim was publicly identified.
7 of 9 outlets skipped it: a victim was named as Armando Ramirez.
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Global News
“The attendee was en route to a hospital in Reno when they died, the Pershing County Sheriff’s office confirmed to NBC News, the Reno Gazette Journal and People.”Read the original ↗
NBC News
“The Washoe County Medical Examiner confirmed the death and identified the victim as 51-year-old Armando Ramirez from Truckee, California.”Read the original ↗
Global News treats the third death as unnamed while NBC News names the victim, creating different verification weight for readers.
Three deaths at Burning Man
A third Burning Man festivalgoer died during the final days of the annual Nevada desert gathering after being transported to a hospital in Reno, according to Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen.
“A third Burning Man festivalgoer has died after being transported to a hospital”
Allen told Fox News Digital in an email that his office received information about a third participant who died while being transported from the festival to a Reno-area hospital, and he said he had no additional information because it occurred outside his jurisdiction.
The deaths came after two earlier fatalities at Black Rock City, including Sampson Tshombe, described as in his mid-50s, who was found dead at the temporary hospital at Burning Man after emergency personnel performed CPR for several minutes.
Authorities said Craigh Mann, a 60-year-old man, was found dead in a trailer he shared with his significant other at about 3:17 p.m. on Saturday, and investigators found no outward signs of foul play.
Fox News Digital reported that autopsy and toxicology results for the two men who died earlier in the festival were expected in six to eight weeks, and the sheriff’s office said it would not release further information until it receives the results.
Identities, statements, and timing
NBC News reported that the Washoe County Medical Examiner confirmed the death of 51-year-old Armando Ramirez from Truckee, California, and said he died while being taken to a hospital in Reno, roughly 120 miles south of Black Rock City, Nevada.N
NBC News quoted Jerry Allen saying, "Although we average one death a year at the Festival, we have had two so far this year within the confines of the Festival and I have received information regarding a third who died in transit to a hospital in Reno," and it said the medical examiner found no sign of foul play.N
Burning Man Project said Ramirez experienced a "serious medical emergency" in Black Rock City on Friday morning and "immediately received on-site lifesaving measures" before being transported to Reno, according to NBC News.N
In a separate update, the festival said Saturday that a second attendee, Craig Mann, 60, was found dead in his camp in Black Rock City at 3 p.m., and NBC News said deputies found Mann dead in a trailer he was sharing with his partner.N
Global News added that Burning Man officials said the participant’s name would not be released until his family has been notified, and it quoted Allen telling the Reno Gazette Journal that he had received information about a third who died in transit to a hospital in Reno.G
What happens next
Officials said autopsies and toxicology screenings for the festivalgoers were pending, with results expected in six to eight weeks, and NBC News reported that the Washoe County Medical Examiner’s Office would conduct those tests.N
“results expected in six to eight weeks”
The Guardian described the death toll as three men over 50 and said the increase in fatalities came as reports highlighted that the average age of Burning Man attenders is increasing, with fewer participants in their 20s and more in their 40s and 50s.
The Guardian also quoted Jerry Allen telling the Reno Gazette-Journal, "Although we average one death a year at the festival, we have had two so far this year within the confines of the festival," and it said the third death occurred in transit to a hospital in Reno.
The Guardian reported that local authorities confirmed there were no signs of foul play with the three deaths, and it said last year’s homicide investigation into a man found dead in a pool of blood remained unsolved.
In the same reporting, the Guardian said the festival ended on 7 September and that more information on the deaths would be available in approximately six to eight weeks after autopsies and toxicology reports were completed, according to the Pershing county sheriff’s office.