Caleb Bankston, a competitor on “Survivor: Blood vs. Water,” died in a railway accident Tuesday, People reports. He was 26.
Bankston, who finished in ninth place on last year’s reality competition, died after a train he was on derailed. Bankston had worked for the Alabama Warrior Railway in Birmingham.
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The former reality TV contestant was engaged to fellow contestant Colton Cumbie, who had been accused of racism while competing on an earlier edition of the CBS series, “One World.” (Cumbie returned to compete with Bankston on “Blood vs. Water.”)
“Survivor” host Jeff Probst said that he and the show’s crew are “shocked and deeply saddened” by Bankston’s death.
He added that Bankston was a “true gentleman.”
“The entire ‘Survivor’ crew is together in Nicaragua. We are shocked and deeply saddened by the loss of Caleb. He was one of the most humble and likable contestants we’ve ever had the pleasure of working with on the show,” Probst said in a statement obtained by TheWrap. “A true gentleman. He will be missed by so many. We extend our most sincere condolences to his family and to his fiancé, Colton.”
Candice Cody, who competed against Bankston on “Blood vs. Water,” remembered her colleague via Twitter on Wednesday, writing, “rest in peace sweet angel, @CalebOndus. @JPCodyMD’s and my thoughts are with you and your family, @ColtonCumbie.”
TheWrap has reached out to CBS for comment.
