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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Entertainment
Lisa McLoughlin

Naked and Afraid star Sarah Danser dies following car crash in Hawaii

Sarah Danser - (Instagram/Sarah Danser)

Reality TV star Sarah Danser has died aged 34 following a car accident in Kahala, Hawaii.

The former Naked and Afraid contestant was rushed to hospital in critical condition on Sunday after the crash but succumbed to her injuries on Tuesday.

According to Honolulu police, the accident occurred when the 59-year-old driver lost control of his vehicle and struck a parked car.

The driver and a woman in the parked car were hospitalised with serious injuries, while anohter man in the vehicle declined treatment.

Danser rose to fame on the survival series Naked and Afraid in 2017 before appearing in its all-star spin-off Naked and Afraid XL in 2018. She most recently starred in Fight to Survive last year.

Danser during her time on series, Naked and Afraid (Discovery Channel)

Danser, who had lived in Hawaii for over a decade, was remembered by fans for her resilience and passion for adventure.

Her father Dan Danser said in a tribute to local news station KSLA: “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.”

Meanwhile, her brother Jake Danser shared: “Magical is the way to describe her.

“Sarah had this positive energy about her that just really filled the environment that she was in.”

Friend and fellow diver Tim Mason also remembered ‘smart’ Danser, writing: “She went under the water.

“She found food, slugs and snails and stuff like that. She knew what to do to survive and she did great.”

Following the news, many of her friends and followers took to social media to pay tribute to the late Discovery TV star.

One wrote: “Sitting here in total shock, rest easy you beautiful soul.”

“RIP Captain Sarah. May you always have fair winds and following seas,” another commented.

Originally from Castle Rock, Colorado, Danser had made Hawaii her home for the past 12 years, often residing part-time on a boat docked at Kewalo Basin.

Her Instagram bio reflected her adventurous spirit, describing herself as a "pirate, boat captain, scuba diver, and survivalist."

Before her passing, Danser was working with Island Divers Hawaii, where she shared her passion for the ocean and the outdoors.

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