Sarah Danser, a survivalist best known for competing in the Naked and Afraid franchise, passed away after a tragic accident in Kahala, Hawaii. She was 34.
Local TV station KSLA reports Danser was hospitalized in critical condition Sunday (Oct. 20) after her friend lost control of the car they were driving in, crashing into a parked car and injuring a person sitting inside. Danser’s friend and the passenger in the parked car were also hospitalized in serious condition.
Danser later passed away from her injuries Tuesday (Oct. 23) after her father and brother arrived at the hospital.
“Magical is the way to describe her,” her brother, Jake Danser, told the outlet. “Sarah had this positive energy about her that just really filled the environment that she was in.” Her father also praised “how much of a difference she made in the lives of others” and revealed she once saved his life when they were diving in Indonesia.
Danser, who was also an accomplished diver and boat captain, first appeared on Naked and Afraid in Season 8 in 2018 and again in Season 11. She later returned to the franchise for an all-star edition of Naked and Afraid XL – which challenged contestants to survive 40 days in the wild with no food, water, or clothes, – in Season 4, and again later on in Seasons 6 and 7.
Her last appearance on television came in 2023 when she starred in The CW’s Fight to Survive.
Danser’s family members note she also survived breast cancer twice.
Her Naked and Afraid XL co-star Melissa Lauren praised her in a tribute shared on Facebook.
“Sarah was [one] of the most adventurous souls I’ve 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 wrote.
“She loved the ocean, nature and exploring – I always considered her a ‘modern day pirate,”” Lauren’s statement 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 you’re out there exploring somewhere.”
Danser spent her final years living in Hawaii, where she lived part-time on a boat in Kewalo Basin and worked at Island Divers Hawaii.
Per KSLA, police believe speed to be a factor in the crash, not drugs or alcohol.