Gérald Babin, 25, was competing in his first challenge on the first day of of the French "Survivor" adaptation "Koh-Lanta" when he suffered cardiac arrest during filming in Cambodia.
"After the group jumped from a boat and participated in a tug-of-war, Babin complained of cramps in his arms and was given medical attention at the scene by the staff doctor, before being airlifted by helicopter to a nearby hospital," reports The Hollywood Reporter. "He suffered a series of cardiac arrests during the transfer before reaching the facility, the companies said."
Production company Adventure Line Productions (ALP) said that all candidates had received extensive medical examinations and testing as part of the selection process in casting the show.
Following Babin's untimely death, Channel TF1 and ALP jointly made the decision to cancel the 16th season of the popular reality competition show, stating: "It is not really a question. Everyone is being flown back to France.”
“Adventure Line Productions, TF1 and [host] Denis Broginart are devastated and join in the profound sadness of Gerald’s family,” channel TF1 said in a statement after flying Babin’s family to Cambodia to recover his body.
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