The opening of this year's Burning Man took a tragic turn when a woman died at the annual festival in Nevada's Black Rock Desert.
Emergency personnel at Burning Man responded to a report of a person unresponsive on the grounds at 11:29 a.m. local time on Sunday, August 25. At that time, they attempted life-saving measures but were “unsuccessful,” Burning Man organizers said in a statement.
“Our thoughts and condolences go out to the family and friends who have suffered this loss,” the statement continued. “The safety and well-being of our employees and our community is our top priority. We are cooperating fully with local authorities as they investigate this incident.”
The Pershing County Sheriff's Office, which identified the female victim, is investigating the incident in Black Rock City and will not release the victim's name until next of kin is notified.
PEOPLE has reached out to the sheriff's office for comment on the death and subsequent investigation, but has not immediately received a response.
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The sheriff's office told SFGate that the death is under investigation “until an autopsy can determine the cause and circumstances of death.”
This death comes one year after the death of a 32-year-old Burning Man participant in September 2023, when thousands of people were stranded in thick mud for days due to heavy rains.
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Last year, Leon Reece was found unconscious on September 1, Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen said in a statement at the time, according to The Daily Beast. The New York Post And The Reno Gazette-Journal.
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In a statement provided to PEOPLE in October 2023, the Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner's Office stated that Reece's death was an accident due to drug intoxication: “His cause of death was acute cocaine, ethanol and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine intoxication. [also known as ecstasy, MDMA or molly] Toxicity.”
Burning Man was first held in 1986. This year, the festival kicked off on August 25 and began on September 2. The Burning Man website describes the city as “a temporary metropolis dedicated to community, art, self-expression and self-reliance” that attracts tens of thousands of festival-goers each year.
