once upon a time going to black rock city was an edgy thing to do. now not only has it jumped the shark and become what it was once protesting, this latest tragedy ensures that BM has had its "altamont" moment. my dream of a decade ago is now embarrassing. luckily small, regional version of burning man are popping up - hopefully they can maintain the vision.
First suicide at Burning Man; friends thought it was performance For the first time in 21 years of Burning Man, a Burner has committed suicide, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
A man was found hanging inside a two-story-high tent this morning, said the federal Bureau of Land Management, which oversees the festival on the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada. The man's identity has not been released pending notification of his family.
He dangled for two hours before anyone in the big tent thought to bring him down, said Mark Pirtle, special agent in charge.
"His friends thought he was doing an art piece," he said.
So far, an estimated 36,000 people have arrived at the gathering, with 46,000 expected by the time things end Saturday with the burning of a 40-foot-tall wooden man. Earlier this week, a participant set the structure ablaze and was charged with arson. Burning Man organizers say the man will be rebuilt in time for the official burn.
alternate coverage:
Burning Man Set to Ignite Amid Sandstorm, Suicide
