Tragedy struck during the production of French Survivor adaptation Koh-Lanta when one of the contestants suffered from fatal heart complications during one of the first competitions of the season. The death of the 25-year-old contestant has resulted in the cancellation of the season, which from the sound of it, had only just begun shooting.
Season 13 had just gotten underway in Cambodia when one of the contestants fell ill during a game of tug of war. According to THR, 25-year-old Gerald Babin complained of arm cramps after the group jumped from a boat and headed to shore for a game of tug-of-war. He was given medical attention and airlifted to a hospital nearby. Unfortunately, during the transfer he suffered from a series of cardiac arrests and died, either on the way or after he arrived at the hospital.
It's always jarring news when someone so young dies of heart complications. Given the grueling conditions involved in Survivor, one might consider the risks of the game, but it sounds like things had only just gotten started when Babin's health issues arose, which suggest some kind of pre-existing condition. Still, it's devastating news, and not surprising that Channel TF1 and Adventureline Productions (the production company behind France's Survivor) have decided not to move forward with the season. Whether or not this affects the continuation of Koh-Lanta beyond the 2013 season has not been decided, but from what THR says, the series is the second most popular show on TF1, falling only behind The Voice, so fans will likely be disappointed that the show won't be around this year, but given the circumstances, it's not hard to understand the choice to cancel the season.
The U.S. version of the reality competition series is currently on its 26th season on CBS.
