Carnage continues at Burning Man

Before 10 a.m. Wednesday, medical supervisor Jonathan Washko already had seen one Burning Man participant whisked away by helicopter in critical condition, another with a broken left arm, another with a face burn from a fire accident, half a dozen people overcome by dehydration, and a stream of Burners with bloodied knees, stubbed toes and sunburned noses.

In 2006, medics transported 20 people with severe and possibly life-threatening injuries by helicopter to Reno, and 32 people left Black Rock City by ambulance.

The majority of last year's patients incurred soft-tissue injuries, such as knee scrapes from tripping over generators at night and falling down on the salty desert floor. Burning Man staff also treated 262 festival-goers with dehydration, 167 with open wounds, broken bones or dislocated limbs, 20 with a variety of burns, 19 for drug overdoses, five for seizures, eight for vehicle accidents, 71 with urinary tract infections and 12 debilitated by extreme heat or sunburn.

If this year's medical tent is as busy as last year's, workers can expect to treat about 1,800 patients, according to the medical agency.

-- Chronicle article