The problem was so prolific that festival organizers employed their own fire rescue team to try and prevent people from running into Burning Man structures as part of their rebirth or spiritual experience. There's a YouTube video about him. All Rights Reserved. As seen on the Daily Mail, graphic photos of Mitchell running into the burning structure have been published. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. It remains unclear whether Mitchell was trying to run into the fire or tripped and fell into it while trying to avoid security staff, the newspaper reported. The man was rescued from the blaze, but he later died. He did yoga every morning. For other inquiries, Contact Us. "People try to run into the fire as part of their spiritual portion of Burning Man," Allen said. The organizers cancelled smaller burns in the aftermath of the 41-year-old mans shocking suicide, and added extra security for the other main burning events. "Honestly, he was the closest thing to Jesus, in a new age way," said his friend, Justin Berry, who was with Mitchell the entire week before he ended his life. Thousands of Burning Man festival revellers see a man BURN TO DEATH after he dived into the flameshttps://t.co/VKPS6Pk0jF. When Berry found out after the burn that his friend had run into the fire, herushed back to the camp. Aaron Joel Mitchell, 41,stunned onlookers as he dodged security to throw himself into the raging flames ofa massive effigy being burned in front of thousands of people in Nevada on Saturday. Strictly star bags life-changing EastEnders role as part of new family, Baby's body found after huge search as cops quiz Constance Marten & lover, Bianca Gascoigne reveals very unusual name for her newborn daughter, I took pic of son, 18, before his first night out then the worst thing happened, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. You can change your choices at any time by visiting your privacy controls. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. He's like a psychologist. Copyright 2023 The Inquisitr. After breaking through a human chain of security officers, Aaron Joel Mitchell sprinted into the flames at the Burning Man festival (2017). Fugitive in $18 million COVID fraud scheme extradited to U.S. The annual arts festival in the Black Rock Desert attracts 70,000 to the city on a dry lake bed two hours north of Reno. He was airlifted to the nearest burn center in Sacramento, California, but was pronounced dead Sunday. Firefighters rescued Mitchell and attempted to treat his injuries on the scene. They had to wait till the structure had burnt and fallen before they could retrieve Mitchell. Someone claiming to be an eyewitness to that event wrote about what they saw on the internet forumReddit. Click here to upload yours. Here is a recent photo of Mitchell before the tragedy: Aaron Joel Mitchell pic.twitter.com/OFZuQBu5Bq. View our online Press Pack. We were just so thankful,so grateful for the people that risked their lives to save his, she said. Horrifically, Aaron Mitchell ran into the Burning Man festivals signature burning of a towering effigy, reported SFGate, was pulled back out of it, and was airlifted to a hospital, where he later died. Officials say Mitchell was a U.S. citizen who had a home in Oklahoma but apparently was living in Switzerland with his wife. A statement noted that Mitchells death was especially traumatic to juveniles who are allowed to attend the festival, and may not have the same coping skills as adults do when they see something this tragic happen before their eyes.. This tragic event happened in 2017. We pay for your stories! Allen said that this is the first time someone has gotten through like this and the only fatality that he's aware of in his 15 years with the county. He only knew love and nothing else. Following the death, authorities established that the 30-year-old had intended to take his own life and had told other festival-goers of his plans. Please enter valid email address to continue. Whilefriends would ventureout to through-sunriseparties and ride electric scootersfar and wide among the colored lights, Mitchell would go tobed early, before 10 p.m., Berry said. He was loving and a nice person. She told the newspaper that her son liked hiking and outdoors, running. He worked in construction and was married without children, according to the newspaper. She and her husband, Donald Mitchell, had last seen Mitchell on Aug. 1. The 41-year-old threw himself into the flames after dodging security at one of the world's biggest and most popular festivals. Berry had no idea that he would be driving itoutwithout his friend. "They had a lot of barriers. While the hospital has not publicly released any further records of Mitchells death, medical staff told Mitchell's mother, Johnnye Mitchell, no trace of drugs or alcohol had been detected. Sheriff Jerry Allen said a crowd of about 50,000 people had gathered to watch the burning of the 'Man' at the annual gathering in Nevada's Black Rock Desert. His mumJohnnye Mitchelldescribed her son, known as Joel, as a "loving and nice person" who seemed happy when she saw him just four weeks ago. Attendees have tried before to run into the flames while the man is burning and there have been reported injuries from people trying to get a piece of the spectacle as a token and going through the hot coals. She has little left of her son besides some clothes, photos and his high school yearbooks. Privacy Policy. Aaron Joel Mitchell, 41, was one of . He was like Jesus to me," Berry said of Mitchell, whose friends called him by "Joel," his middle name. We also know: Mr. Mitchell was a husband. He was taken by helicopter to the UC Davis hospital burn center, where he was pronounced dead. His mother told the Reno Gazette-Journal that Mitchell, who was usually called by his middle name Joel, grew up in McAlester, Oklahoma but was living in Switzerland.. Guess what the temple burn had around it? The annual Burning Man Festival was turned into a crime scene after Aaron Joel Mitchell ran into one of the events burning effigies on the night of Sept. 2 as caught on tape! According to Pershing County Sheriff's Office in Nevada, fire personnel attempted to pull him out but falling burning debris prevented them from doing so. A Burning Man participant (L) evades a chasing firefighter and falls into the flames of the "Man Burn" after evading the attempted tackles of multiple rangers and law enforcement personnel at the annual Burning Man arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, Sept. 2, 2017, Stay up to date with our daily newsletter, All You Need To Know About Burning Man Festival, SpaceX Launches Latest Space Station Crew To Orbit For NASA, Vietnam Parliament Elects Vo Van Thuong As New State President, Oil Inches Up On China Rebound, But Global Demand Concerns Weigh, Vo Van Thuong Confirmed As New Vietnam President, Analysis-Australia's DIY Pension Funds Lose Millions On Crypto Bets, Investors Not Sweating It. Burning Man said in a statement that they had cancelled burns through noon Sunday but would go ahead with the 8 p.m. temple burn, another signature event that signals the end of the nine-day festival. Aaron Joel Mitchell, 41, died of fatal burn wounds, another attendee was air-lifted after car hit tent. Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368. The festival culminates with the burning of a towering 40-foot effigy made of wood, a symbol of rebirth, which usually happens the Saturday before the Labor Day holiday. The harrowing incident in the Black Rock Desert is not the first time someone has done something of this nature. The sheriff said doctors confirmed Mitchell wasn't under the influence of alcohol, but a toxicology report is pending. 152 level 2 In 2014, a man in Utah died by jumping into a huge ceremonial bonfire in an event that was similar to Burning Man. Man falls into flames at Nevada's Burning Man festival https://t.co/GRrdGDukcF pic.twitter.com/uoDqTMqFbQ, CarHireUK.co (@CarHireUKdotco) September 3, 2017. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window). Aaron Joel Mitchell, 41, was airlifted to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento, California after being pulled from debris, but he was pronounced dead on Sunday morning. Firefighters leaped to the rescue and treated him on the scene., TMZ noted: Photos of the incident were captured, and theyre pretty graphic. Since her son's death, she's leaned on her church community and faith for support. The sheriff said that such mishaps were a problem for the organizers, and they had tried to contain them by having their own rangers form a human-chain to prevent people from getting too close to the burning effigy. 8 Eclias 5 yr. ago Way to jinx it. He wants to do something special for his friend while at this year's celebration, but he's not sure what yet. Nevada - A man who jumped into the fire at Burning Man on Saturday night has been announced dead. Aaron Joel Mitchell rushed past a two-layer security perimeter and into a massive fire at the Nevada . In 2014, a man died in Utah after plunging into a huge ceremonial bonfire at the Element 11 Arts Festival, a local version of the Burning Man festival. / AP. There were other bad omens at the festival this year. According to USA Today, Black Rock City fire personnel pulled the man out of the flames. THE family of a married man who ran into an inferno at a Burning Man festival say they have been left in "total shock". He met his wife while he was traveling in Nepal, where she too was backpacking. Five months after Aaron Joel Mitchell ran into a wall of fire at Burning Man's pinnacle celebration last year, some but not all questions surrounding his death are being answered . Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen said the man ran through a human-chain of security officers at around 10.30pm on Saturday. His mother was unaware of any mental health issues, she said, and he was never a troublemaker. Click Manage settings for more information and to manage your choices. Joel, from Oklahoma, had been living in Switzerland with his wife where he worked in the construction industry. Mitchell was pronounced dead just before 6:30 a.m. Sunday., Aaron Joel Mitchell: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Burning Man, which attracts nearly 70,000 people to Northern Nevadas Black Rock Desert each year, lasts a week before participants encircle the effigy to watch it burn to the ground under a dramatic display of fireworks. You can see some of the photos from the tragedy below, but be aware that they are graphic and disturbing. Sign up and stay up to date with our daily newsletter. I wish that he could have made better decisions, because hes not coming back from this," said Berry, who plans on returning to Burning Man this year. Help was delayed as rescue teams had to avoid being hit by portions of the burning structure falling to the ground, but firefighters eventually pulled Mitchell out of the blaze. The mother said Mitchell was married but did not have any children, Reno Gazette-Journal reported. Meanwhile, Mitchell's mother, Johnnye Mitchell told Reno Gazette-Journal that it was her son's first Burning Man festival. According to RGJ, its not clear yet why Mitchell ran into the fire. It was the last time she spoke to him. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. Authorities are investigating the death of Aaron Joel Mitchell, 41, who broke through a two-layer security perimeter during the Man Burn event in which a giant, wooden effigy is set ablaze. ago. The 41-year-old threw himself into the flames after dodging security at one of the world's biggest and most popular festivals. Everybody loved him, he was really kind, he just wassuch a good kid, Mitchell said. Updated on: September 3, 2017 / 10:51 PM Five months after Aaron Joel Mitchell ran into a wall of fire at Burning Mans pinnacle celebration last year, some but not all questions surrounding his death are being answered. The Sacramento County Coroners Office has officially ruled Mitchells death a suicide, though the officelisted the cause of death cardiac arrest, bodily shock and third-degree burns on 97 percent of his body, according to the Sacramento County Coroners Office final report. Were doing pretty good, but thats one of the hard things, we dont know why it happened.. Allen also said it was not certain whether the act was carried out under the influence of drugs, CBS News reported. The sheriff said Mitchell was a U.S. citizen who had moved to Switzerland. Information about your device and internet connection, like your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Yahoo websites and apps. "He was like my mentor. 6 1 more reply flickerkuu 5 yr. ago They do, it's a giant fence of fire spinning and firefighters sprinkled with cops and rangers. Authorities say Aaron Mitchell broke through a security perimeter on Saturday during the "Man" burn . The reason behind Mitchell's drastic step was not known, the sheriff said. He was in great spirits when we saw him.". He was identified as 41-year-old. When he phoned, roadtripping from Oregon to Nevada, her son sounded "festival'd out," Mitchell said. Mitchells shocking actions and death at the Burning Man festival were caught in haunting photos and videos by those who saw him running into a burning statue. Johnnye Mitchell told Reno Gazette-Journal that it was her son liked hiking and,. Seen Mitchell on Aug. 1 like your IP address, Browsing and search activity using... 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