Cause of Death for Burning Man Attendee Revealed as Drug Intoxication

Leon Reece was found unresponsive on the festival grounds on Sept. 1

The cause of death for the 32-year-old man who died at Burning Man this year has been revealed.

Leon Reece was found unresponsive in Nevada's Black Rock Desert on Sept. 1 around 6:24 p.m. local time as the area was inundated with rain, Pershing County Sheriff Jerry Allen said in a statement at the time, per The Daily Beast, The New York Post and the Reno Gazette-Journal.

In a statement shared with PEOPLE Wednesday, the Washoe County Regional Medical Examiner’s Office said the manner of Reece’s death was an accident.

“His cause of death was acute cocaine, ethanol and 3,4- methylenedioxymethamphetamine [also known as Ecstasy, MDMA or Molly] toxicity,” per the medical examiner’s office.

The confirmation comes after the regional medical examiner’s office shared that drug intoxication was the suspected cause of death, per the Post, NBC News and Fox affiliate KTTV.

Related: Diplo and Chris Rock Hitch Ride Out of Burning Man on Pickup Truck After 'Walking 6 Miles Through Mud'

The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office received a distress call reporting an unresponsive male at the festival, which was plagued by heavy rains and muddy conditions this year, Allen said in a statement, according to the Post. Medical personnel were administering CPR, and by the time the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office arrived, Reece was pronounced dead.

"Due to the unusual rain event happening on the Playa, access to the area and investigative efforts were delayed," Allen said.

This year’s festival faced serious setbacks as the Black Rock Desert area, where it’s annually held, received between two to three months’ worth of rain in just 24 hours between Sept. 1 and 2, CNN reported.

The festival attracts thousands of attendees every year. According to Travel Nevada, more than 70,000 people attend Burning Man annually.

The festival website describes the event as “a temporary metropolis dedicated to community, art, self-expression and self-reliance.”

As a result of the extreme rainfall, thousands of people were left stranded in the desert area. The event organizers urged people to “conserve food, water and fuel and shelter in a warm, safe space” as flooding interrupted the festival.

Driving was not permitted, aside from emergency vehicles.

Related: Princess Stephanie of Monaco's Daughter Escapes Burning Man as Rain Dampens Event: 'We're Out'

First-time attendee Hannah Burhorn told CNN that the desert sand turned into a thick mud as a result of the excessive rain, making things even more complicated.

“It’s unavoidable at this point,” Burhorn said. “It’s in the bed of the truck, inside the truck. People have tried to bike through it and have gotten stuck because it’s about ankle deep.”

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On Sept. 4, “exodus operations” began around 2 p.m. local time in the desert area, according to a festival update shared on X, formerly known as Twitter.

A major standstill quickly developed as thousands of people attempted to leave the festival. By 9 p.m., the wait time to exit was “7 hours and climbing,” the festival's official channels posted at the time.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-662-HELP. 

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