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.

According to Pershing County Sheriff and Coroner Jerry Allen, the latest attendee died while being transported from the remote Nevada desert to a hospital in the Reno area. The individual’s name, age, and cause of death have not been disclosed.

Allen stated that the incident occurred outside his jurisdiction, leaving additional questions for authorities in Washoe County. This development follows the festival’s conclusion on Monday as thousands of attendees began departing Black Rock City.

The first fatality involved Sampson Tshombe, a man in his mid-50s, who was found unresponsive inside Burning Man’s temporary hospital on Thursday. Emergency personnel performed CPR for several minutes before an on-site doctor pronounced him dead. No outward signs of foul play were reported at the time, though Tshombe’s medical history remains under review.

Two days later, the second death involved Craigh Mann, 60. Organizers stated that his campmates discovered him unresponsive at his campsite around 3 p.m. on Saturday. The Burning Man Project expressed condolences to Mann’s family and friends, noting that support resources remain available within Black Rock City.

In both cases, authorities found no signs of foul play. The bodies were sent to the Washoe County Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsies and toxicology screenings, with results expected in six to eight weeks.

For the third case, officials have not disclosed who requested medical transport, what symptoms prompted it, or which agency handled emergency response. This detail has shifted the incident outside Pershing County’s jurisdiction.

The sheriff described the three deaths as unusually high given Burning Man’s typical annual death rate of one fatality per year. Conditions during the festival included rain that turned sections of the playa into mud and dust storms that complicated travel, though no weather-related causes have been linked to any fatalities.

As investigations continue, no public cause of death has been announced for any individual. The event’s isolation in the Nevada desert means medical emergencies often unfold far from major hospitals.