Reported suicide on the playa
Reported suicide on the playa
From SFGate.com, comes a report of the first on-playa suicide in the history of the event. If true, a very sad occurrence.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfg ... y_id=19890
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfg ... y_id=19890
Yeah I saw something on this when I was searching for info on the arson incident:
http://gawker.com/news/suicide-is-painless/-295344.php
Not really anymore info though.
http://gawker.com/news/suicide-is-painless/-295344.php
Not really anymore info though.
You call it malt liquor, I call it breakfast.
- Ugly Dougly
- Posts: 17611
- Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2003 9:31 am
- Burning Since: 1996
- Location: เชียงใหม่
...
the mind skews itself around lack of immediacy at times...immediacy
Philosophy.
a. immediate presence of an object of knowledge to the mind, without any
distortions, inferences, or interpretations, and without involvement of any intermediate agencies.
b. the direct content of the mind as distinguished from representation or
cognition.
it is what it is... the webpage and type...
sphera spinning circa gradually midst photon shaft grazing electron soo flit while neutron's gazing
- Flashfried
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2007 10:20 pm
How quickly we forget ...
2001: The man had just collapsed. The rangers had just let people get close to the man's remains, when somebody decided to get really close. We watched this very large, very naked gentleman run up to the burn plaform, jumping barefoot onto the metal. Stunned, we watched him dart around the flames which still hadn't yet begun to die down in earnest.
Moments later, blessedly out of sight for most of us, he dove into the flames. According to a post on the old ePlaya, he had pledged to "sacrifice himself to the man" earlier that day, and was now making good on that troubling pledge. A quickminded and very brave ranger plunged into the flames after him, sustaining serious burns in the process, but it was too late. The disturbed individual, his digits already reduced to blackened stumps, had sustained third degree burns over more than 75 percent of his body.
Emergency medical transport showed up quickly and the poor fool was airlifted to the nearest trauma center, but could not be saved, dying a horrible death that we can only hope he wasn't lucid enough to fully appreciate. Even if he wasn't, though, this act of self-destruction was known to have been premeditated, and so would have to be regarded as a suicide.
2001: The man had just collapsed. The rangers had just let people get close to the man's remains, when somebody decided to get really close. We watched this very large, very naked gentleman run up to the burn plaform, jumping barefoot onto the metal. Stunned, we watched him dart around the flames which still hadn't yet begun to die down in earnest.
Moments later, blessedly out of sight for most of us, he dove into the flames. According to a post on the old ePlaya, he had pledged to "sacrifice himself to the man" earlier that day, and was now making good on that troubling pledge. A quickminded and very brave ranger plunged into the flames after him, sustaining serious burns in the process, but it was too late. The disturbed individual, his digits already reduced to blackened stumps, had sustained third degree burns over more than 75 percent of his body.
Emergency medical transport showed up quickly and the poor fool was airlifted to the nearest trauma center, but could not be saved, dying a horrible death that we can only hope he wasn't lucid enough to fully appreciate. Even if he wasn't, though, this act of self-destruction was known to have been premeditated, and so would have to be regarded as a suicide.
-
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 8:22 pm
- Location: PDXy is sexy
That sure is a sad story! But yeah, my very 1st thought when I saw the headline about it being the "first suicide" was "What about that dude that dove into the flames years ago?"
But anyway, sucky.
If it's true that his friends left him hanging there for hours because they didn't believe he'd actually DO such a thing.... can you even imagine that moment when someone actually said "Ummmm, he hasn't moved or responded in a really long time......." & the reality hit? UG.
But anyway, sucky.

If it's true that his friends left him hanging there for hours because they didn't believe he'd actually DO such a thing.... can you even imagine that moment when someone actually said "Ummmm, he hasn't moved or responded in a really long time......." & the reality hit? UG.
- deeohgeeman
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2003 1:23 pm
- Location: Los Angeles
- Contact:
Performance art as death
He WAS doing an art piece. He DID an art piece. You just don't get it [yet]. Art is supposed to make you think and wonder.
But the best comments of all are after this post:
http://gawker.com/news/suicide-is-painless/-295344.php
But the best comments of all are after this post:
http://gawker.com/news/suicide-is-painless/-295344.php
- JezebelinHell
- Posts: 762
- Joined: Wed Sep 24, 2003 3:29 am
- Location: Reno
Just an update from all the news articles I've been through:
Police have identified the man, but are postponing releasing his name until the family has been notified.
The tent he hung himself in was Comfort and Joy. They were going to close the tent down afterwards, but all the other burners convinced them to keep it open.
He hanged there for 90 minutes before anyone realized he was an actual dead body.
There's one thing that really bugs me about this whole thing. I can understand thinking there might be a mannequin hanging from a tent-post (I've definitely seen weirder art pieces), and I can even understand that it was dark and people were probably less than sober in there, but doesn't the human body evacuate the bladder and bowels upon expiration? No one noticed that it smelled worse than the port-o-johns on Sunday night in there? Or that piss and fecal matter were puddling around his feet? I mean, I've been pretty blitzed out there, but I've never been too blitzed to smell fresh shit.
Police have identified the man, but are postponing releasing his name until the family has been notified.
The tent he hung himself in was Comfort and Joy. They were going to close the tent down afterwards, but all the other burners convinced them to keep it open.
He hanged there for 90 minutes before anyone realized he was an actual dead body.
There's one thing that really bugs me about this whole thing. I can understand thinking there might be a mannequin hanging from a tent-post (I've definitely seen weirder art pieces), and I can even understand that it was dark and people were probably less than sober in there, but doesn't the human body evacuate the bladder and bowels upon expiration? No one noticed that it smelled worse than the port-o-johns on Sunday night in there? Or that piss and fecal matter were puddling around his feet? I mean, I've been pretty blitzed out there, but I've never been too blitzed to smell fresh shit.
"The future is a whore, she promises herself to everyone."
--Poe
--Poe
- theCryptofishist
- Posts: 40313
- Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2004 9:28 am
- Burning Since: 2017
- Location: In Exile
I don't know, JiH. I've been assuming that they were giving him his privacy or otherwise not using the space he was in. From the media (who were apparently calling perfect strangers his "friends") I don't expect any clarification. C&J campers might be able to tell us, but I don't know that they will. People claiming to be C&J campers might tell us anything. Anyway, I suspect that the real reason won't get to the boards, or if it does won't necessarily be recognized as such. Expect lots of rumors, and little sense.
The Lady with a Lamprey
"The powerful are exploiting people, art and ideas, and this leads to us plebes debating how to best ration ice.
Man, no wonder they always win....." Lonesomebri
"The powerful are exploiting people, art and ideas, and this leads to us plebes debating how to best ration ice.
Man, no wonder they always win....." Lonesomebri
- JezebelinHell
- Posts: 762
- Joined: Wed Sep 24, 2003 3:29 am
- Location: Reno
I'm stopping in BRC to see some friends tonight, so I'm gonna see if anyone knows anything verified. I'm sure that rumors will abound, but I do know a handful of kids at Comfort and Joy so hopefully I can find one of them. They're probably sick to death of talking about it by now though. What a shitty thing to have happen at your camp. Especially since no one in that camp even knew the kid.
"The future is a whore, she promises herself to everyone."
--Poe
--Poe
- theCryptofishist
- Posts: 40313
- Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2004 9:28 am
- Burning Since: 2017
- Location: In Exile
Yeah, it pisses me off a little that they have that "His friends thought he was doing an art piece" when no one there was his friend.JezebelinHell wrote: Especially since no one in that camp even knew the kid.
Oh well.
The Lady with a Lamprey
"The powerful are exploiting people, art and ideas, and this leads to us plebes debating how to best ration ice.
Man, no wonder they always win....." Lonesomebri
"The powerful are exploiting people, art and ideas, and this leads to us plebes debating how to best ration ice.
Man, no wonder they always win....." Lonesomebri
- diane o'thirst
- Posts: 2092
- Joined: Tue Sep 09, 2003 5:04 pm
- Location: Eugene, OR
- Contact:
Comfort and Joy...the <i><b><u>LAST</i></b></u> camp that should have something like this happen to them. 

[url=http://tinyurl.com/245sagf][img]http://tinyurl.com/2bbr28j/.gif[/img][/url][url=http://tinyurl.com/23753ws][img]http://tinyurl.com/2auqebj/.gif[/img][/url][url=http://tinyurl.com/m4y82q][img]http://tinyurl.com/l56rdn/.gif[/img][/url]
- Bob
- Posts: 6748
- Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2003 10:00 am
- Burning Since: 1986
- Camp Name: Royaneh
- Location: San Francisco
- Contact:
Consider the source -- Ron Skinner probably repeating what org rangers heard second or third hand.
Amazing desert structures & stuff: http://sites.google.com/site/potatotrap/
"Let us say I suggest you may be human." -- Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam
"Let us say I suggest you may be human." -- Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam
(I sort of can't believe I'm responding to this.)JezebelinHell wrote: He hanged there for 90 minutes before anyone realized he was an actual dead body.
, but doesn't the human body evacuate the bladder and bowels upon expiration?
Most of the time not. A few people tend to vomit when they die - especially if its a nasty death.
Actually I can kind of imagine people missing the fact he was dead for a little while. you see some many wierd things on the playa.
(kind of glad I missed it this year. sounds like some wierd juju going on.
Is it good though? otherwise?)
- theCryptofishist
- Posts: 40313
- Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2004 9:28 am
- Burning Since: 2017
- Location: In Exile
Yeah, he could have given himself an enema or been wearing an adult diaper (which seems possible to me in the sence of "not wanting to be any trouble" that many suicidal/depressed people have) and the pee could have evaporated pretty quickly in the heat.
But that's off playa, monday morning quarterbacking type hypothosizing.
But that's off playa, monday morning quarterbacking type hypothosizing.
The Lady with a Lamprey
"The powerful are exploiting people, art and ideas, and this leads to us plebes debating how to best ration ice.
Man, no wonder they always win....." Lonesomebri
"The powerful are exploiting people, art and ideas, and this leads to us plebes debating how to best ration ice.
Man, no wonder they always win....." Lonesomebri
- unjonharley
- Posts: 10387
- Joined: Tue Sep 09, 2003 11:05 am
- Burning Since: 2001
- Camp Name: Elliot's naked bycycel repair
- Location: Salem Or.
- theCryptofishist
- Posts: 40313
- Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2004 9:28 am
- Burning Since: 2017
- Location: In Exile
-
- Posts: 84
- Joined: Sun Sep 05, 2004 12:34 pm
- Location: Coos Bay,Oregon
- Contact:
suicide
I heard that his campmates went out for a walkabout and came back to find what he'd done
- Bob
- Posts: 6748
- Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2003 10:00 am
- Burning Since: 1986
- Camp Name: Royaneh
- Location: San Francisco
- Contact:
If someone hanged himself in my camp I'd fucking kill him.
Amazing desert structures & stuff: http://sites.google.com/site/potatotrap/
"Let us say I suggest you may be human." -- Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam
"Let us say I suggest you may be human." -- Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam
That early in the morning, up about two stories (or, at least over a story up), and he might not have had anything to eat and not much to drink-- even if he did void himself, so there might not have been much waste, I could see how he could easily have been missed.
I've been really da--- depressed at times. I feel sorry for him and all who were effected by his suicide.
B.
(Maybe it was a good year to miss, after all...?)
I've been really da--- depressed at times. I feel sorry for him and all who were effected by his suicide.

B.
(Maybe it was a good year to miss, after all...?)
"Nothing is withheld from us which we have conceived to do.
Do things that have never been done."
--Russell Kirsch
Do things that have never been done."
--Russell Kirsch
suicide boiles down to:
pain outweighs coping mechanisms.
and when that happens it can be very difficult to think logically. before you judge someone please follow the link below.
if you have ever considered suicide please follow the link below.
http://www.metanoia.org/suicide/
who knows. maybe he was high. maybe it was a stunt that went wrong. maybe it was only planned out hours before it happened. who knows.
pain outweighs coping mechanisms.
and when that happens it can be very difficult to think logically. before you judge someone please follow the link below.
if you have ever considered suicide please follow the link below.
http://www.metanoia.org/suicide/
who knows. maybe he was high. maybe it was a stunt that went wrong. maybe it was only planned out hours before it happened. who knows.
awesome oppossum
- theCryptofishist
- Posts: 40313
- Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2004 9:28 am
- Burning Since: 2017
- Location: In Exile
Ah, opinions of ignoramai...I think he's a dumbass and deserves to be mocked, not felt sorry for. Don't fucking kill yourself. It's stupid, and people will laugh at you.
The Lady with a Lamprey
"The powerful are exploiting people, art and ideas, and this leads to us plebes debating how to best ration ice.
Man, no wonder they always win....." Lonesomebri
"The powerful are exploiting people, art and ideas, and this leads to us plebes debating how to best ration ice.
Man, no wonder they always win....." Lonesomebri
Re: Reported suicide on the playa
[quote="Neurosis"]From SFGate.com, comes a report of the first on-playa suicide in the history of the event. If true, a very sad occurrence.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfg ... y_id=19890[/quote]
Did someone see the suicide note? It said the following:
"I am doing this because I have chosen to die in a place I love. I know many of you are too self conscious to look up and see my rotting corpse. It is just not cool. I might be messing with you heads. I predict no one will notice me for awhile. Which is good. I die with a smile knowing that this cosmic joke has come to and end."
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfg ... y_id=19890[/quote]
Did someone see the suicide note? It said the following:
"I am doing this because I have chosen to die in a place I love. I know many of you are too self conscious to look up and see my rotting corpse. It is just not cool. I might be messing with you heads. I predict no one will notice me for awhile. Which is good. I die with a smile knowing that this cosmic joke has come to and end."
Hmmm....
I have read several news reports that make it sound like the camp mates actually watched him hang himself and then sat around for two hours until some one decided that he wasn't actually performing an art piece.
It sounds a bit fishy. I could understand the guy hung himself and no one was around to see it. I can understand that no one noticed after that fact for quite some time, but I have a hard time believing that their were actual witnesses to the event.
I feel like it just happily adds to the stigma that everyone at Burning Man is blitzed 24/7, and I'm quite sure that is what the BLM & media want everyone to believe.
It sounds a bit fishy. I could understand the guy hung himself and no one was around to see it. I can understand that no one noticed after that fact for quite some time, but I have a hard time believing that their were actual witnesses to the event.
I feel like it just happily adds to the stigma that everyone at Burning Man is blitzed 24/7, and I'm quite sure that is what the BLM & media want everyone to believe.
Re: Reported suicide on the playa
is this real? I am curious to know what was in his head. I actually do respect people who made the choice to end this cosmic joke, at least for themselves. I have been close many many times. anyone who pisses on that choice is setting themselves up for a fine bit of cosmic pachinko. you have no idea what his headspace was like, and your opinions are just bullshit. sorry though for the people who have to deal with the aftermath.mensen wrote: Did someone see the suicide note? It said the following:
"I am doing this because I have chosen to die in a place I love. I know many of you are too self conscious to look up and see my rotting corpse. It is just not cool. I might be messing with you heads. I predict no one will notice me for awhile. Which is good. I die with a smile knowing that this cosmic joke has come to and end."
the thought of disappointing friends has kept me here more than once...
-
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Tue Sep 04, 2007 9:28 am
sorry not citing properly but whoever posted the link to the suicide page thank you -- out of all of our comments -- and believe, i have plenty on this one -- truthfully this is the most useful post. i'm not defending him but i've seen a lot of posts and while tragic there are a lot of other negatives besides the obvious loss of life that can be drawn from this if initial reports turn out to be true. that aside, i was shocked that from all the different forums that i saw this discussed on few people thought to address the real issue -- someone felt desperate, selfishi, stupid, confused, whatever enough to end their lives when so many others were celebrating theirs --- common enough but still a bummer and despite mine or your opinion on it or personal experience with suicide -- that was still somebody's son, friend, neighber, co-worker and it sucks they may have not considered all their options until too late.
i'm probably too burnt to remember but are there crisis counselors on hand? i know plenty of people who can't handle their meds wind up in the med tent but are there trained people on site where you could go if you hit a rut like this out there?
i'm probably too burnt to remember but are there crisis counselors on hand? i know plenty of people who can't handle their meds wind up in the med tent but are there trained people on site where you could go if you hit a rut like this out there?
- theCryptofishist
- Posts: 40313
- Joined: Mon Feb 23, 2004 9:28 am
- Burning Since: 2017
- Location: In Exile
Find a ranger with a radio or stop by a medical outpost and a crisis counselor will come to you.are there crisis counselors on hand?
The Lady with a Lamprey
"The powerful are exploiting people, art and ideas, and this leads to us plebes debating how to best ration ice.
Man, no wonder they always win....." Lonesomebri
"The powerful are exploiting people, art and ideas, and this leads to us plebes debating how to best ration ice.
Man, no wonder they always win....." Lonesomebri