Naked and Afraid contestant Sarah Danser has died at just 34 years old following a car crash in Kahala, Hawaii.
Danser became known to the public through her appearance in the eighth season of the reality series Naked and Afraid, which challenges contestants to survive in the wilderness without even the clothes on their backs.
Danser returned to the show in season 11 and also participated in seasons 4, 6, and 7 of the spinoff series, Naked and Afraid XL. Most recently she made an appearance in another reality show, Fight to Survive, which aired on The CW last year.
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On Sunday, October 18, Danser was involved in a car crash when the 59-year-old male driver she was traveling with lost control of the vehicle and collided with a parked car, according to Honolulu police.
Both Danser and the driver of the car were hospitalized, as was a woman who was in the parked car at the time of the crash. A man who was also in the parked car declined to be treated.
Danser, who was originally from Castle Rock, Colorado, was in critical condition when she arrived at the hospital.
Her father and brother rushed to the hospital and arrived on Tuesday to be with her, but later that same day Danser sadly passed away.
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According to KSLA, her family members said when the reality TV star died she was wearing lei, scarves and bandanas given to her by her friends.
Her dad, Dan Danser, told the publication: “I actually saw how much of a difference she made in the lives of others. I think she saved my life once, diving in Indonesia.”
Her brother, Jake, described Danser as 'magical'.
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"Sarah had this positive energy about her that just really filled the environment that she was in,” he said.
Danser was a master diver and boat captain, and worked at Island Divers Hawaii in Hawaii Kai.
Danser's Naked and Afraid co-star, Melissa Lauren, paid tribute to her in the wake of her death, describing her as one of 'the most adventurous souls' she'd ever met.
"She wasn’t only a fierce survivalist on Naked and Afraid (she completed XL in South Africa with me), but a Breast Cancer survivor who kept an inspiring and positive attitude through her treatment,” Lauren said in a post on Facebook.
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Family members confirmed to KSLA that Danser had survived breast cancer twice.
“She loved the ocean, nature and exploring - I always considered her a 'modern day pirate'," Lauren's post continued.
"She was one of those people that saw the world through the eyes of a child, in awe of the things that many of us take for granted. Rest easy Sarah, I know youre out there exploring somewhere."
Upon investigating the crash, police said speed appeared to be a factor, but not drugs or alcohol.
Topics: Hawaii, Cancer, Film and TV, US News
Emily Brown