Survivor Contestants Who Have Died
17 of the 751 castaways who have played the US version of Survivor have passed away. No castaway has ever died during the filming of the show, every loss remembered here came in the years after their season aired. This page is kept as a warm, complete record of the people behind the game, in the order we lost them. The seasons they played, their age, and the year of each passing are gathered in the reference table at the end.
Jane Bright, Survivor: Nicaragua (1953–2025)
Jane Bright was the plainspoken dog trainer from North Carolina who quickly became one of the most popular castaways of her season. The oldest player out on the sand that year, she never coasted on it: fans and tribemates alike admired how hard she worked around camp and how openly she wore her heart. Voters loved her enough to hand her the season's Fan Favorite award. She passed away in 2025 at the age of 71.
Kim Johnson, Survivor: Africa (1944–2024)
A retired schoolteacher who joined the game later in life, Kim Johnson quietly outlasted almost everyone and reached the final two, becoming the oldest woman ever to make a Survivor finale. Underestimated for most of her season, she leaned into a shrewd, patient game and forged the alliance that carried her to the end. She remained a warm presence in the Survivor community long after she stopped playing. Kim died in 2024 at 79, after a long illness.
Sonja Christopher, Survivor: Borneo (1937–2024)
Sonja Christopher holds a permanent place in television history as the very first castaway ever sent home from Survivor, ukulele in hand and a smile on her face. A cancer survivor and music therapist, she brought a gentle, upbeat spirit to the show's earliest days and carried it for the rest of her long life. Fans across every era knew her as the woman who started it all with grace. She passed away in 2024 at the age of 87.
Keith Nale, Survivor: San Juan del Sur and Cambodia (1960–2023)
Keith Nale was the Louisiana firefighter whose folksy one-liners, chief among them "stick to the plan," made him an instant fan favorite across two seasons. He played with an honesty and a lack of guile that were rare on the show, and he made a deep run each time he competed, once falling just short of the final vote. Off camera he was a devoted family man who fought fires in Shreveport for decades. Keith died in 2023 at 62, following a battle with cancer.
Roger Sexton, Survivor: The Amazon (1946–2022)
A retired Marine and Vietnam veteran, Roger Sexton brought old-school grit to his season in the Amazon, taking charge of camp and leading the crew that built his tribe's shelter. He was the classic strong provider whose leadership kept his tribe fed and dry, even as the game eventually turned against him. That steadiness carried through the rest of his life, anchored by more than half a century of marriage. Roger passed away in 2022 at the age of 76.
Dan Lembo, Survivor: Nicaragua (1946–2022)
Dan Lembo was the sharp, self-made New York real estate developer who used every bit of his boardroom savvy to talk his way deep into his season. Older than most of his tribe, he made himself the hub of an alliance and outmaneuvered players half his age to reach the final stretch. Fans remember him as living proof that experience could still cut it in a young person's game. He died in 2022 at 75, after several years living with a rare neurological illness.
Clay Jordan, Survivor: Thailand (1955–2022)
Clay Jordan was the blunt, quotable good ol' boy whose sly maneuvering carried him all the way to the final two of his season, where he came up just short of the title. He was never one to hide what he was thinking, and that unfiltered candor made him one of his season's most memorable characters. He came from Louisiana and stayed close to home for the rest of his life. Clay passed away in 2022 at 66, only months after losing his wife.
Ralph Kiser, Survivor: Redemption Island (1965–2022)
Ralph Kiser was the plain-spoken Virginia farmer whose thick accent and homespun logic made him one of his season's true originals. He fancied himself a strategic mastermind, and whether or not the game agreed, his earnest scheming and country charm won over viewers at home. Away from the cameras he was known simply as a hard worker who loved his land. Ralph died in 2022 at the age of 56.
Sunday Burquest, Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X (1971–2021)
A youth pastor and mother of four from Minnesota, Sunday Burquest arrived on her season having already beaten breast cancer, and she played with the warmth and steadiness of someone who knew what mattered. She became a mentor figure within her tribe and stayed a source of encouragement to the Survivor community long after her season aired. Her openness about illness gave comfort to many who were fighting their own battles. Sunday passed away in 2021 at 50, after a return of cancer.
Angie Jakusz, Survivor: Palau (1980–2021)
With her tattoos and her fearless refusal to fit anyone's mold, Angie Jakusz stood out the moment she stepped onto the beach with the ill-fated Ulong tribe. Chosen last and cast as an outsider, she won fans over with her toughness and her willingness to be exactly who she was. She grinded through one of the roughest tribal stretches the show has ever put on screen. Angie died in 2021 at the age of 40, after a battle with cancer.
Cliff Robinson, Survivor: Cagayan (1966–2020)
Before Survivor, Cliff Robinson spent eighteen seasons in the NBA and earned an All-Star nod, and he brought that same easygoing confidence to the island as the show's first former pro basketball player. A well-liked presence on his tribe, he approached the game with the same steadiness that made him a fan favorite on the court. His towering frame and gentle manner left a strong impression on castmates and viewers alike. Cliff passed away in 2020 at 53, following a battle with cancer.
Rudy Boesch, Survivor: Borneo and All-Stars (1928–2019)
Rudy Boesch was a genuine American legend before he ever played the game: a Navy SEAL with 45 years of service whose gruff honesty and unlikely friendship with Richard Hatch made him the breakout star of Survivor's very first season. The oldest castaway out there, he finished a remarkable third and returned years later to play again. Fans adored his no-nonsense one-liners and the soft heart underneath them. Rudy died in 2019 at 91, after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.
Ashley Massaro, Survivor: China (1979–2019)
A former WWE Diva Search winner, Ashley Massaro carried her fearless, high-energy persona from the wrestling ring to the beaches of her Survivor season. Though her time in the game was brief, her charisma made her instantly recognizable to fans of both worlds. She was a devoted mother whose loved ones remembered her warmth away from the spotlight. Ashley passed away in 2019 at the age of 39.
Dan Kay, Survivor: Gabon (1976–2016)
Dan Kay was a New Hampshire lawyer whose big personality and quick mind made him a memorable player during his season in Gabon. Sharp and ambitious, he threw himself into the game's social maneuvering with the same drive he brought to his career and his real estate ventures back home. Friends remembered him as a devoted father to his two children. Dan died unexpectedly in 2016 at the age of 40.
Caleb Bankston, Survivor: Blood vs. Water (1987–2014)
Caleb Bankston was, in Jeff Probst's own words, one of the most humble and likable people ever to play the game. A railroad conductor from Alabama, he competed alongside his fiance and won over the whole cast with his quiet decency and unshakable calm. His death, in a train accident at work, stunned the Survivor community and cut short a life everyone expected to shine for decades. Caleb was 26.
B.B. Andersen, Survivor: Borneo (1936–2013)
B.B. Andersen was a self-made Kansas construction magnate whose take-charge instincts on Survivor's very first season made him one of its earliest larger-than-life characters. His hard-driving style rubbed his tribe the wrong way and sent him home early, but he left the show and returned to a full and accomplished life in business and public service. He carried the same energy into everything he built. B.B. passed away in 2013 at the age of 77, after being diagnosed with cancer.
Jennifer Lyon, Survivor: Palau (1972–2010)
Jennifer Lyon was a fierce competitor whose challenge strength and steady nerve carried her to the final four of her season on Palau. After the game she faced a breast cancer diagnosis with striking openness, blogging about her treatment and becoming a passionate advocate for awareness and early detection. That courage inspired countless people well beyond the show's fanbase. Jennifer died in 2010 at 37, the first Survivor castaway the community ever lost.
Has anyone died while playing Survivor?
No. Across all US seasons, no castaway has died during filming. The show has had medical emergencies, and a number of castaways have had to leave the game early for their safety, but every castaway has come home. The people remembered above are ones the Survivor community lost later, some decades after they played, some far too soon.
In memoriam: reference table
Every castaway we have lost, most recent first, with the facts for quick reference: the seasons they played, their age at the time of passing where it is known, and the year.
| Castaway | Season(s) | Age | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jane Bright | Survivor 21 Nicaragua | 71 | 2025 |
| Kim Johnson | Survivor 3 Africa | 79 | 2024 |
| Sonja Christopher | Survivor 1 Borneo | 87 | 2024 |
| Keith Nale | Survivor 29 San Juan del Sur, Survivor 31 Cambodia | 62 | 2023 |
| Roger Sexton | Survivor 6 The Amazon | 76 | 2022 |
| Dan Lembo | Survivor 21 Nicaragua | 75 | 2022 |
| Clay Jordan | Survivor 5 Thailand | 66 | 2022 |
| Ralph Kiser | Survivor 22 Redemption Island | 56 | 2022 |
| Sunday Burquest | Survivor 33 Millennials vs. Gen X | 50 | 2021 |
| Angie Jakusz | Survivor 10 Palau | 40 | 2021 |
| Cliff Robinson | Survivor 28 Cagayan | 53 | 2020 |
| Rudy Boesch | Survivor 1 Borneo, Survivor 8 All-Stars | 91 | 2019 |
| Ashley Massaro | Survivor 15 China | 39 | 2019 |
| Dan Kay | Survivor 17 Gabon | 40 | 2016 |
| Caleb Bankston | Survivor 27 Blood vs. Water | 26 | 2014 |
| B.B. Andersen | Survivor 1 Borneo | 77 | 2013 |
| Jennifer Lyon | Survivor 10 Palau | 37 | 2010 |
Updated through the July 12, 2026 refresh of the survivoR dataset this site is built from. The most recent loss recorded here is Jane Bright, in 2025. If a recent passing is not yet listed, it has not yet reached the upstream dataset.
Frequently asked questions
Has anyone ever died during the filming of Survivor?
No. No castaway has ever died during the filming of the US version of Survivor. There have been medical evacuations over the years, but every castaway has left the game alive. Every loss on this page came after the person’s time on the show.
How many Survivor contestants have died?
17 of the 751 castaways who have played the US version of Survivor have passed away, as recorded in the survivoR dataset this site is built from.
Who is the most recent Survivor contestant to pass away?
Jane Bright, who played Survivor 21, passed away in 2025 at the age of 71.
Have any Survivor winners died?
No. As of the latest data update, no Sole Survivor has passed away.