The Burning Man desert festival in Nevada began on a sour note Sunday after the death of a female attendee.
The woman, whose name was not released, was found dead just hours after the festival opened. The cause of death is under investigation; festival organizers announced the death but did not provide further information about the episode.
“Our thoughts and condolences are with the family and friends affected by this loss,” Burning Man organizers said in a press release.
The annual event in Nevada's remote Black Rock Desert draws tens of thousands of participants to a makeshift community filled with art and music.
Shortly before 11:30 a.m., festival emergency responders responded to reports of an unresponsive woman and immediately began life-saving measures but were unable to revive her, festival organizers said. The Pershing County Sheriff’s Department was called to the scene at 11:37 a.m. for a possible death.
Deputies confirmed the woman's death when they arrived, the Sheriff's Department said in a news release posted on Facebook.
The cause and manner of her death remain under investigation and will be determined after an autopsy is performed, authorities said. The contestant's name will be withheld until her next of kin can be notified.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends” of the deceased, Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen said in a statement.
