Chris Rock flees Burning Man after festival shuts down due to torrential rain leaving 73K people 'trapped'
NEVADA, US: Comedian Chris Rock managed to escape the torrential rain and mud at Burning Man in Nevada's Black Rock City, thanks to a resourceful fan with a pickup truck.
Diplo posted a video on social media showing a group of at least seven festivalgoers riding in the back of a pickup truck, with 58-year-old Rock joining the ride.
Many in the group wore ski goggles to protect their eyes from the dust.
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Chris Rock was stuck at Burning Man with Diplo
Rock was captured sitting on the truck's edge as it moved across the desert terrain. He sported a New York Knicks jacket, a black baseball cap and sunglasses, flashing a smile for the camera.
"A fan offered Chris rock and I a ride out of burning man in the back of a pick up," the text on the video read.
The text further read, "After walking 6 miles through the mud… all Chris could think about was a f*****g cold brew."
"I legit walked the side of the road for hours with my thumb out cuz i have a show in dc tonight and didnt want to let yall down," Diplo wrote in the caption.
It added, "Also shoutout to this guy for making the smart purchase of a truck not knowing it was for this exact moment."
Earlier that day, Rock had posted a video on his Instagram showing the terrible conditions at his campsite. In the short clip, deep footprints in the muddy mess were visible, resembling craters.
Rock wrote, "From what I understand, because of the flooding, the port-o-potties reportedly can’t be emptied. And because the gates are closed, people can’t get in to fill generators or deliver supplies."
A row of bikes was also visible, parked and entirely unusable due to the muddy conditions.
What happened in the Burning Man festival?
The Burning Man festival in Nevada experienced around six inches of rain on Friday, September 1, at its location, situated approximately 110 miles north of Reno, according to the National Weather Service.
The heavy rainfall made the festival grounds inaccessible. It is believed that the torrential storms brought the most substantial amount of rain the event has experienced since its inception in 1986.
When you go to Burning Man for fun in the desert but it rains six inches and floods and you think you're just going to drive out of the mud because you have a Jeep Wrangler.#BurningMan #BurningMan2023 pic.twitter.com/8MJ12wUYjF
— 🌈 Tess T. Eccles-Brown, PhD (@TTEcclesBrown) September 3, 2023
An estimated 100,000 people attended the festival in 2023, with a staggering 73,000 revelers finding themselves stranded and facing freezing weather conditions.