Deaths taint international Reality TV shows

International Reality TV shows are in the spotlight lately for an unfortunate run of tragedies.

Two unrelated shows, one from France and one from the US, have been suspended as a result.

Last week a contestant on Koh-Lanta, the French version of Survivor, died while shooting in Cambodia.

25 year old Gérald Babin complained of cramps in his arms during a tug-of-war challenge and was treated by the staff doctor on the set before being airlifted by helicopter to a nearby hospital. But he suffered a series of cardiac arrests while on his way to the hospital.

The show was immediately cancelled and all contestants were returned home.

Adventure Line Productions and broadcaster TF1 issued a statement, “The teams from ALP, TF1 and (host) Denis Brogniart are devastated and join in the profound sadness of Gérald’s family. All of their thoughts are with his parents, his sister, his girlfriend and all those close to him.”

But in a tragic turn of events, a doctor employed on the series has now committed suicide.

In a handwritten letter, Dr. Thierry Costa described how he was affected by the media coverage following Babin’s death.

“These past days, my name has been smeared in the media,” the 38-year-old Costa wrote in a suicide note, which he requested be made public. Addressing his 20 years in the profession, the man said he had a feeling that all his efforts were diminished by what he called ‘misleading stories.’

Adventure Line Productions has filed a defamation suit against anyone who sought to exploit Babin’s passing. However, a second witness has come forward to cast doubt on the circumstances of Babin’s death.

Also today a participant on controversial MTV Reality show Buckwild has been found dead with two other passengers in a car in West Virginia -but the incident is unrelated to any direct filming activities.

Shain Gandee, 21, was among three men found dead in a vehicle in the Sissonville area of West some 31 hours after he and his uncle, David Gandee, were reported missing.

The men told people they were going four-wheeling in Shain’s 1984 Ford Bronco. Shain had earned a reputation for wild stunts, as well as for his sunny disposition, which earned him the nickname “Gandee Candy.”

“We are shocked and saddened by the terrible news about Shain Gandee, and those involved in this tragic incident,” MTV said in a statement.

“We are waiting for more information, but at this time, our main concern is for the Gandee family and their friends,” MTV said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with them. Shain had a magnetic personality, with a passion for life that touched everyone he met and we will miss him dearly.”

Buckwild has attracted controversy since it began, described by some as “The Jersey Shore Of Appalachia.”

Production on a second series has been suspended following the tragedy.

Meanwhile, in February, three people died in a helicopter crash at the Polsa Rosa Ranch, California, during filming of an unnamed Reality TV program for the Discovery Channel — the worst film set accident in the state in three decades.

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Source: Huffington Post, Washington Post, LA Times