Diplo and Chris Rock walk miles to safely escape Burning Man amid flood

While thousands remain stranded in the muddy flooded wasteland that Burning Man has become, Diplo and comedian Chris Rock trudged for miles through deep pools of mud alongside others making the arduous trek out of the festival after rains rendered roads unusable.

With no transportation able to traverse the slick muck, the duo walked nearly 8 km before hitching a ride with fans to finally exit the site. The famous pair’s exodus came amidst complete disarray at the annual counter-culture event. Relentless rainstorms throughout the week flooded the Black Rock Desert, halting activities and closing exit routes for the over 70,000 attendees. So far one death has been reported as authorities investigate fatalities linked to the flash floods.

| Also read: Tragic death reported as Burning Man struggles amid extreme weather

Participants have been told to shelter in place within the temporary city, as maintenance crews struggle to reopen roads caked in thick, clay-like sludge. Some Burners donned plastic bags as makeshift rain boots to squelch through the miles of mud on foot. Others relied on passing strangers to shuttle them to safety after the treacherous hike out.

Diplo chronicled their journey on social media, showing Rock trodding through shin-deep mud covering the normally cracked playa. The two eventually met fans who drove them to safety, ending their nightmare.

While most remain stranded in the flood zone, Burning Man’s stranded souls say their spirits are still high as they wait out the storms together. But the celebrities’ arduous escape shines a light on the very real dangers posed by the unprecedented conditions.

just walked 5 miles in the mud out of burning man with chris rock and a fan picked us up pic.twitter.com/0uxSXLHgY6

— diplo (@diplo) September 2, 2023

Image credits: Diplo Instagram Stories