‘Naked and Afraid’ Star Sarah Danser Dies in Car Crash at 34

Naked and Afraid veteran Sarah Danser died Tuesday, October 22, following a car accident in Kahala, Hawaii. She was 34.

According to local TV station KSLA, Danser was a passenger in a car driven by a 59-year-old man who lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a parked car. The driver and a woman in the parked vehicle sustained serious injuries and were taken to hospital. Danser was also rushed to hospital in critical condition and passed away two days later.

A police report indicated that speed was a factor in the crash, but no drugs or alcohol were found to be involved.

Danser was originally from Colorado but had lived in Hawaii for over a decade, per KSLA. She was best known for her multiple appearances on the Discovery Channel’s hit reality series Naked and Afraid; she first appeared on Season 8 in 2017 and returned for Season 11 in 2020. She also featured on the spinoff Naked and Afraid XL in 2018, 2020, and 2021.

Sarah Danser on Naked and Afraid; Discovery YouTube

More recently, Danser starred on the fellow survivalist reality series, the CW’s Fight To Survive in 2023.

“Magical is the way to describe her,” Sarah’s brother, Jake Danser, told KSLA. “Sarah had this positive energy about her that just really filled the environment that she was in.”

“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,” her father, Dan Danser, added.

Related

'Baywatch' Star Michael Newman Dies at 68 After Battle With Parkinson's

Naked and Afraid alum Melissa Lauren wrote on Facebook, “Sarah was of the most adventurous souls I’ve ever met. 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. 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,” Lauren continued. “Rest easy Sarah, I know you’re out there exploring somewhere.”

Island Divers Hawaii, where Danser worked as a boat captain and SCUBA diver, also shared a tribute to their Facebook, writing, “Heavy hearts as we say goodbye to a good friend and great captain. Sarah brought such great energy to everyone she came in contact with. You will be greatly missed.”