Woman escapes Burning Man 'mud hell' after camper-van gets stuck on way out
A photographer who shot to fame for picturing celebrities like Avril Lavigne and "The Vampire Diaries" actor Gavin Caselagno for Grazia and L'Officiel is among the hundreds who fled the terrors of Burning Man this week.
After torrential rains flooded Black Rock City in Nevada, turning the dusty desert ground into a gigantic pit of mud, tens of thousands of festival-goers were left stranded — unable to drive out of the area due to the conditions. And no-one was allowed in, either, including emergency vehicles and sanitation trucks to clean the portable toilets.
Around 70,000 people were then left to fend for themselves, rationing food and water as they waited for the mud to dry out and the roads in and out to become safe again.
The fields at Burning Man instantly turned muddy and unable to be traversed in the rain (David Crane/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)But some festival-goers, or "burners," as they're called, decided to attempt an escape anyway. Jana Schuessler was one of them — she and her friends decided to make a getaway late in the evening on Saturday, just 24 hours after the rains hit.
That attempt didn't go well. Piling into one of the group's campers, Schuessler and her friends attempted to flee at around 11pm that night but got stuck in the mud.
Gales, snow and rain to batter country today with 80mph wind gusts
They weren't able to extract themselves until the next morning, and they somehow managed to make their way through the gates after being told they were unable to leave the premises. Radio announcements had told festival-goers that the gates would be locked until the ordeal had calmed down, but the gates were open.
Jana Schuessler was able to escape Burning Man with her friends in their RV (CEN)
Jana Schuessler's shoe after the rain turned the desert ground into swampy mud (CEN)"With some luck, we somehow got out of mud hell but saw loads of RVs on our way stuck in the mud," the German-born, Brooklyn-based photographer told German media. "We were told we were not allowed to leave the premises... We tried anyway – and even succeeded."
She added that some of her friends are still stuck and "will probably have to wait days for rescue," as it began raining again. She told the outlets that it had rained before the festival started, too, and took approximately two days to dry out.
"My feet and shoes were full of mud, which felt like cement within a very short time. We couldn't go anywhere!" she said of the ordeal. "Everyone who had the chance tied bags around their shoes at some point, which helped them walk to some extent."
Many festival-goers chose to walk to shuttles or roads around eight miles away to escape (AFP via Getty Images)The influencer also helped others with food and water, ensuring they had enough supplies, and described the "foul" environment caused by backed up toilets that were unable to be cleaned due to the limited access to the area.
But taking to her Instagram, which has over 20,000 followers, Schuessler assuaged some fears from her followers, posting to her story: "Guys to be honest it wasn't as dramatic. We were stuck and people were worried but everyone was fine and just kept going! People are stuck but everyone is safe, has lots of water and food and is staying positive. News are being extra dramatic."
It remains unclear when the roads will officially open, but other videos in the photographer's story show multiple RVs and other vehicles navigating the muddy terrain on the roads out of the festival as far back as yesterday.
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