Burning Man attendee details moment she fell off art installation, transported to hospital

A San Francisco woman is telling her story after she fell off an art installation at Burning Man a week ago.  

Rachel Gingery said she climbed up the 40-foot-tall art piece resembling a sinking ship before slipping, falling, and landing on her back. She spent close to 16 hours in the event’s medical tent before she was transported to a hospital in Reno, Nev.  

“I had four fractured vertebrae, and I had a fractured rib, and both my lung and spleen were bruised,” Gingery said.  

After falling, Gingery, who had attended the event eight times, said she couldn’t move. Her biggest fear at that moment was that she might not be able to walk.  

After a two-hour ride in an ambulance to a Reno hospital, she learned the full extent of her injuries. Despite the gravity of her injuries, she is expected to recover fully, according to Gingery. 

Gingery, 40, said she assumed the risks when climbing the art installation and doesn’t blame the artist.  

Although she got hurt, Gingery said she attends Burning Man to push boundaries, which is why she’s looking forward to next year’s event.  

“I’m filled with gratitude that I am still here, and I will make a full recovery,” she said. “I will definitely be back next year.” 

Gingery was one of 20 attendees who were transported to a hospital during the week-long event; of them, more than a dozen were medically transported by helicopter.

Additionally, a 39-year-old woman died on the first day of the event. The cause of her death has yet to be determined.