‘Survivor’ Contestants Who Have Died

Over its 40 season, Survivor has had almost 600 castaways. Seven of them have died. Here is a tribute to those whom the Survivor family has lost over the years.

B.B. Andersen

Survivor Borneo – B.B.Some of B.B. Andersen’s time on Survivor: Borneo R.I.P.2015-11-27T10:53:40Z

B.B. Andersen was one of the original Survivor castaways. He played in season one, “Borneo,” at the age of 64. In 2013, he passed away at the age of 77 after a battle with brain cancer, reported the Kansas City Star.

His obituary described him thusly: “Bigger than life with a heart to match, B.B. had an unmatched zest for life. A world traveler and avid sportsman, B.B. was a lover of fine cigars, fine wine, close friends, and good political debate.”

He was survived by his wife, Jan, daughter, Alexandra, and four sons, Mark, John, Todd, and Darren.

Caleb Bankston

Survivor: Blood vs. Water – Caleb Arrives At PonderosaCaleb arrives at Ponderosa and reflects on his game.  Click the link to subscribe to the Survivor channel – http://bit.ly/1eAKHER To watch full episodes of Survivor, click HERE – http://bit.ly/1bizVPI Get the CBS app for iPhone & iPad! Click HERE: http://bit.ly/12rLxge Click HERE to purchase the upcoming season on iTunes: http://bit.ly/LQMsn7 Get your Survivor…2013-12-05T05:00:00Z

This Survivor: Blood vs Water alum played the game with his partner, Colton Cumbie in 2013 at the age of 26. He was killed a year later in a train accident when he was just 27. CNN reported at the time that a railway spokesman told them he was killed in an accident while working on a coal train that derailed.

“Once completed, our investigation will identify the root cause of the accident, and we will take all appropriate enforcement actions,” Federal Railroad Administration spokesman Warren Flatau said.

Cumbie and Bankston’s wedding was to have taken place in October 2014, just four months after Bankston was killed. In an interview with the University of Alabama newspaper The Crimson White, Cumbie said, “Caleb was my everything.”

At the time of Bankston’s death, Survivor production released a statement via host Jeff Probst that read, “The entire Survivor crew is together in Nicaragua. We are shocked and deeply saddened by the loss of Caleb. He was one of the most humble and likable contestants we’ve ever had the pleasure of working with on the show. A true gentleman. He will be missed by so many. We extend our most sincere condolences to his family and to his fiancée, Colton.”

Rudy Boesch

The Survivor family has lost a legend. Rudy Boesch passed at the age of 91.
He played in the first season of Survivor at the age of 72. He is one is the most iconic and adored players of all time.
And he served our country as a 45-year Navy SEAL.
Rudy is a true American hero. pic.twitter.com/IJxELbcthH

— Jeff Probst (@JeffProbst) November 3, 2019

This Navy veteran held the distinction of being the oldest person to ever play Survivor, a record he set when he played “Borneo” at the age of 72 and then broke when he played all-stars at the age of 75.

He died in November 2019 at the age of 91 from complications with Alzheimer’s Disease. Probst wrote at the time, “The Survivor family has lost a legend. Rudy Boesch passed at the age of 91. He played in the first season of Survivor at the age of 72. He is one is the most iconic and adored players of all time. And he served our country as a 45-year Navy SEAL. Rudy is a true American hero.”

Dan Kay

Sending much love and support to the friends and family of Survivor Gabon contestant Dan Kay. RIP, Dan. pic.twitter.com/Ozg3UoDDpX

— Ryan W (@ohmywowryan) January 4, 2017

In late 2016, Dan Kay, an alum of Survivor: Gabon, died at the age of 40. His then-girlfriend Jennifer DePietro told RadarOnline at the time that they were not releasing his cause of death, but the Brookline, Massachusetts, police department said they did not suspect foul play.

Kay left behind two young children, a daughter named Reese and a son named Jackson. Probst wrote on Twitter, “I just heard the very sad news about the sudden loss of Dan Kay of Survivor: Gabon. The Survivor family sends our love to Dan’s family.”

Jenn Lyon

Survivor Palau: Jenn LyonShe made her debut in survivor Palau: season 10. She has a long battle with Breast Cancer but she did lose. You will be missed.2014-06-26T20:08:49Z

This Survivor: Palau fourth-place finisher was the first member of the Survivor family to pass away. She died in 2010 at the age of 37 after a five-year battle with breast cancer.

Just a few weeks before her death, she attended a Survivor reunion party thrown in honor of the show’s 20th season. Probst told Entertainment Weekly that it was a wonderful night — and a poignant farewell.

“The Survivor reunion party offered Jenn a great chance to reconnect with so many people from the Survivor family. It was a great night and even though the party was crazy, we arranged a back room, away from the madness, where Jenn could hang out and talk with friends. She looked absolutely stunning that night. Certainly, a lot of that is because Jenn was always a beautiful woman, but there was a spirit inside her that night that was palpable. It was clear to me that she knew this was a goodbye,” said Probst.

He also said that in the years leading up to her death, he and she really connected in a way they never had before.

“Jenn and I got reconnected a couple of years ago and became very close, very fast. She shared with me the highs and the lows and the constant choices she and her family faced regarding her treatment,” said Probst, adding, “Over the past several weeks we had some beautiful talks about life and death. Jenn was so willing to share what she was feeling, including the very real and very scary parts of dealing with terminal cancer.”

Ashley Massaro

Massaro was a castaway on Survivor: China, the 15th season of the show. She was better known for her professional wrestling career in the WWE. She debuted there as part of the WWE Diva Search in 2005.

She died in May 2019. The cause of death was not released by New York’s Suffolk County medical examiner’s office due to privacy laws, according to CNN, but sources told TMZ at the time that Massaro died by suicide via hanging.

According to CNN, following her death, Massaro wanted her brain donated to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) research. CTE is a condition that happens after repeated head injuries but cannot be diagnosed in a living person. CTE can cause memory loss, mood swings, rage, and suicidal thoughts.

Massaro was survived by a daughter, Alexa, who was 18 at the time of her mother’s death.

Cliff Robinson

This former NBA star and Survivor: Brains vs. Brawn vs. Beauty alum died in August 2020 after a battle with Lymphoma. He was 53 years old and was survived by his mother, sister, three brothers, and six children.

Why NBA & ‘Survivor’ Star Cliff Robinson Died At 53

Probst wrote of his passing, “To have Cliff Robinson, an NBA All-Star, play Survivor was a personal highlight for me. And he was one of the classiest people to ever play the game. He treated the other cast members and the entire crew with grace and respect. My condolences go out to his family.”

Survivor hopes to film season 41 in the spring of 2021 for a fall 2021 premiere.

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