Man commits suicide by leaping into giant bonfire at Burning Man-style festival in Utah

http://www.nydailynews.com ^ | 07/14/2014 | BY Philip Caulfield

[redreno]

A man killed himself at Burning Man-style arts festival by leaping into a towering burning art structure in front of hundreds of horrified onlookers, authorities and witnesses said.

On Monday, scores of "burners" - who commune in the Nevada desert every August for Burning Man -were mourning the doomed festivalgoer after he dove into the flames during a moonlit bonfire ritual at the Element 11 fest near Salt Lake City late Saturday.

[dfwgator]

in front of hundreds of horrified onlookers

How many of the onlookers were going, "Far out, man!"

[ChildOfThe60s]

Shades of Edward Woodward.

My first thought, also.

[showme_the_Glory]

He chose poorly. When you hot you hot.

[The Duke]

I’m willing to bet that he was a flaming liberal. (And I’m sure I’m half-right).

[GBA]

In older times and in other places, such rituals, especially ones that ends with a sacrifice, a voluntary(?) self-sacrifice in this case, do something, open something, allow passage for something.

Never, ever a good thing this way comes.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

I wonder if everyone around the fire got a contact buzz.

[circlecity]

"He sure picked an ugly way to go."

Which makes me think this was an impulse suicide rather than something he thought through.

[VanDeKoik]

But now his votes for Democrats will live on forever.

[Charles Martel]

That sort of thing could get a man fired.

[Responsibility2nd]

Just about the time I think post 7 is the thread winner - along comes your post.

These and other replies are why I FReep. Thanks!

[madprof98]

How many of the onlookers were going, "Far out, man!"

Bingo!

[Oberon]

Think maybe drugs or alcohol were involved?

[TheThirdRuffian]

Great performance art.

Not as good as this:



But still good.

[CreviceTool]

Likely that this new Darwin Award nominee didn’t think he was committing suicide. Rather seeking a 10x heightening of the Tony Robbins firewalking ritual.

After injuries to some of the 6,000 firewalkers in San Jose, CA in 2012:

Many firewalking proponents claim that successful firewalking is the result of either a heightened psychological state or supernatural protection. Robbins has written that “people change their physiology by changing their beliefs,” and one of the burned firewalkers interviewed by the San Jose Mercury News explained his injury by saying that he “didn’t get into the right state.”

[Unam Sanctam]

The Wicker Man!

[fishtank]

Hold muh bong, man, just for a second... BRB.

...whoa!!!!!!!

[fishtank]

Jerry Reed - When You're Hot, You're Hot

[Old Forester]

He wanted to become one with the flames...

[353FMG]

Haven’t heard anyone complain about the huge carbon footprint this whole affair must have established.

[ecomcon]

It is folly and paganism.

Why do they mourn? The last vestiges of a conscience compels them, I suppose. Not logic or consistency.