Naked and Afraid takes reality television suspense to a whole other level. The show's striking method of testing its contestants' boundaries and limitations has shocked audiences. However, it has also made the show very successful, as it has spawned spin-off series and high viewership.
Sarah Danser was one of the recurring cast members of Naked and Afraid. She appeared in several different seasons and even the Naked and Afraid XL series. Fans were familiar with her, and she quickly became one of their favorites. Sarah was said to have survived breast cancer twice.
Sarah sadly passed away following a car accident in October 2024. Her tragic death shocked fans, as she was only 34 years old. In the days following her passing, Sarah was fondly remembered by friends, family, and fans.
Sarah Danser Was Honored By Friends And Family After Her Tragic Death
Naked and Afraid star Sarah Danser passed away on October 22, 2024 after being hospitalized. The reality star was hospitalized following a car accident in Kahala, Hawaii. Her death was announced on local TV station KSLA. She was just 34 years old.
Sarah got into a car crash two days before her death on October 20. Honolulu police confirmed Sarah was a passenger in a car where the male driver lost control and struck a parked vehicle. According to local authorities, speed was indicated as a likely factor. They stated that drugs and alcohol were not factors, however.
KSLA reports that both the driver and the woman in the parked car were hospitalized in serious condition. The outlet also reports that another man in the parked car refused treatment.
Sarah first appeared in Naked and Afraid in its eighth season in 2017. She made a return to the show for Season 11 in 2020 and also appeared on Naked and Afraid XL for its fourth, sixth and seventh seasons. Sarah became a reality television veteran, most recently appearing on The CW's Fight to Survive in 2023.
Sarah's father, Dan Danser, and brother, Jake Danser, both revealed they had arrived at the hospital hours before she passed away.
"I actually saw how much of a difference she made in the lives of others," Dan told KSLA. "I think she saved my life once, diving in Indonesia."
Jake fondly remembered his sister, adding, "Magical is the way to describe her. Sarah had this positive energy about her that just really filled the environment that she was in."
While Sarah was a native to Colorado, her family said that she had been living in Hawaii for over a decade. Sarah also beat breast cancer twice and worked as a boat captain. She also lived part-time on a boat in the local Kahala boat basin.
"Heavy hearts as we say goodbye to a good friend and great captain," her employer Island Divers Hawaii wrote on Facebook. "Sarah brought such great energy to everyone she came in contact with. You will be greatly missed."
Tim Mason was a friend of Sarah's and a fellow diver. He told the local news outlet that the diving community in the area was heavily inspired by her. According to Tim, they would host large watch parties for her reality TV appearances.
“She was smart. She went under the water. She found food, slugs and snails and stuff like that,” Tim shared with KSLA. “She knew what to do to survive and she did great.”
Sarah was even remembered by her fellow Naked and Afraid cast members. Melissa Lauren honored Sarah in a tribute on Facebook.
"Sarah was one of the most adventurous souls I’ve ever met," Melissa wrote. "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."
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'Naked and Afraid' producers barely interact with cast members, leading to challenging circumstances in the wilderness.
She added, "She loved the ocean, nature and exploring — I always considered her a 'modern day pirate.' 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."
A Former Cast Member Spilled The Tea About Being On Naked And Afraid
In 2021, former Naked and Afraid cast member Dani Beau spoke to Nicki Swift about her time on the show. What a lot of people don't know is Dani works as a wilderness EMT, so her interest lined up with the Naked and Afraid concept.
"Just from a young age, I was in the Girl Scout troops for many, many years, and I was just very into backpacking and hiking, and my father got me into a lot of that," Dani revealed. "I was fascinated with Native American history and culture and just how they can make tools out of bones or wood and just make everything from your materials in the environment."
According to Dani, there was a very specific process she went through to prepare for the show. She had to train her body to be able to handle all the different hurdles she would face during filming.
"I think the very first time to prepare, I know I cut out all caffeine, any kind of processed food or sugar," she began. "I walked around barefoot to train my feet, and I'm the kind of person that likes to organize my calendar and everything, and I have a never-ending to-do list. So mentally, I prepared by getting anything out of the way that would have bothered me. I didn't want to be sitting in the jungle naked, thinking about paying this bill or something. So physically, but also mentally."
However, Dani did say that with all that preparation, there was one area she wasn't sure she could handle.
"I was the vegan that did these challenges, and I didn't know if I would be able to sustain that and hold my beliefs and not have to kill or trap or hunt," Dani admitted. "So I did read up on hunting and trapping, just because I really didn't know what I was going to do if I was in that position."
Dani proudly revealed that she did maintain her vegan diet while competing on the show. She said that she ate food like "common fruits were mangoes and cashews." She continued, "There's also these exotic South American fruits. I found almonds, cashews, palm nuts, a lot of different edible flowers and leaves. I found a lot out there. I call it my grocery store. It's always exciting to find different kinds [of food]."
Despite this, there were moments when Dani had to go on without food. When asked the longest period she went without food, she said "probably a day."
"So for example, if I knew there was a mango tree there, I would count how many mangoes, and I would just plan it out," she explained. "So that way, I could at least have something even if it was just one piece of fruit every day. Just so I could have those sugars in my body. So I was able to scientifically plan for X amount of food, and I'll make it last."
The contestants on Naked and Afraid would understandably have a difficult time adjusting to everyday life after returning home. When her time on the show came to an end, however, Dani said she didn't struggle to adjust to regular life.
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"I've heard a lot of different people struggled, but for me, I came out unscathed in all of my challenges, and I stuffed my face with food," she said. "That was the fun part. I would say physically I was fine, but it was really weird hearing music for the first time again. I forgot all of my passwords to social media, especially after the 40 days. So it was just getting used to being a human again and driving a car and sitting in traffic and turning on music and having running water. You don't have to boil it. So just fitting back into society, it took a bit. Everyone wanted to have a big party, and I just couldn't do it. I didn't want to see anybody."
Viewers Share Their Thoughts On Sarah's Death Online
Since Sarah had been on Naked and Afraid several times, she was a fan favorite. Those fans took to Reddit to share their thoughts on losing the reality star so unexpectedly.
One user wrote, "This is absolutely heartbreaking. She was so young and brought such amazing energy to the show." Another wrote, "Not a single one of us is guaranteed a tomorrow. It's a sobering thought, but also...poignant. Like, embrace what you have while you have it."
Since Sarah was so young at the time of her passing, some users said it made them reflect on their own mortality. "Damn, I'm 34," someone wrote. "F**** sake. I still feel mostly 'invincible' s*** like this reminds us we're all one accident away from death."
Other people commented on Sarah's cause of death and how things could be done to improve driving conditions. "Most premature deaths are car-related accidents these days, yet society continues to normalize the risk by manufacturing even larger, more hazardous vehicles and screaming how unfair it is when they get caught breaking the speed limit or playing on their phone," a person wrote.
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Naked and Afraid contestants do get paid, but is it enough for the obstacles they face while surviving in the wilderness with only one personal item.
The tragic news even inspired one person to urge those behind the wheel to be safe, writing, "Be careful every time you’re in the car and go the speed limit. Look both ways even if it’s green and slow down at intersection."
Naked and Afraid
- Release Date
- June 23, 2013
- Network
- Discovery
Cast
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Michael BrownSelf - Survivalist
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