In the game of “Survivor,” the goal is to outwit, outplay and outlast the competition, but sometimes real-life troubles get in the way that lead to dramatic medical evacuations. As of this writing, a whopping 19 castaways have been removed due to health emergencies — 18 men and only one woman (Kourtney Moon). Tour our photos above (or click here for direct access) to see all of the “Survivor” medevacs/medical evacuations throughout the show’s run. Which ones were the scariest to watch on TV? Which ones do you remember vividly?
Michael Skupin (Season 2: The Australian Outback)
In episode 6, “Trial by Fire,” Skupin fell face-first into the campfire after taking in too much smoke. With skin hanging from his badly burnt hands, he was flown out of the Outback by helicopter as the show’s first ever medevac.
Bruce Kanegai (Season 12: Panama)
In episode 11, “Medical Emergency,” Bruce was taken out...
Michael Skupin (Season 2: The Australian Outback)
In episode 6, “Trial by Fire,” Skupin fell face-first into the campfire after taking in too much smoke. With skin hanging from his badly burnt hands, he was flown out of the Outback by helicopter as the show’s first ever medevac.
Bruce Kanegai (Season 12: Panama)
In episode 11, “Medical Emergency,” Bruce was taken out...
- 3/14/2024
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
The premiere episode of Season 37 of “Survivor” started with a lot of touchy-feely moments and the usual grousing about outsized personalities, thanks to its premise of pitting so-called Davids against Goliaths. But it ended up with an unexpected and rather harrowing twist when Pat Cusack, a member of the David tribe who took charge of building their shelter, was suddenly shown to be moaning in pain and clearly injured in the final moments of the show. He somehow hurt his back when his tribe returned to their camp after they lost the immunity challenge when their boat went through choppy water caused by a rainstorm.
The maintenance manager, 40, from upstate New York tied the record for the earliest medical evacuation in “Survivor” history. That mark was previously set by Kourtney Moon of “Survivor: One World” in 2011’s Season 24 when she was forced to leave on Day 3. Moon remains the first...
The maintenance manager, 40, from upstate New York tied the record for the earliest medical evacuation in “Survivor” history. That mark was previously set by Kourtney Moon of “Survivor: One World” in 2011’s Season 24 when she was forced to leave on Day 3. Moon remains the first...
- 9/27/2018
- by Susan Wloszczyna
- Gold Derby
Over the years, Survivor has had its share of medical evacuations. Sometimes, it was the contestant's own fault, like when Mike Skupin fell into a fire during 2001's Australian Outback. Sometimes, it was due to illness, like when Panama's Bruce Kanegai found himself severely constipated. Other times, the blame falls on the producers. In 2012, contestant Kourtney Moon broke her wrist during an ill-conceived challenge that had contestants jumping from a 25-ft. tower into a net. But no Survivor has been quite as brutal and chaotic as last week's episode, where contestants spent nearly an hour digging in hot sand for bags of balls.
- 3/16/2016
- by Steve Helling, @stevehelling
- PEOPLE.com
Over the years, Survivor has had its share of medical evacuations.
Sometimes, it was the contestant's own fault, like when Mike Skupin fell into a fire during 2001's Australian Outback. Sometimes, it was due to illness, like when Panama's Bruce Kanegai found himself severely constipated.
Other times, the blame falls on the producers. In 2012, contestant Kourtney Moon broke her wrist during an ill-conceived challenge that had contestants jumping from a 25-ft. tower into a net.
But no Survivor has been quite as brutal and chaotic as last week's episode, where contestants spent nearly an hour digging in hot sand for bags of balls.
Sometimes, it was the contestant's own fault, like when Mike Skupin fell into a fire during 2001's Australian Outback. Sometimes, it was due to illness, like when Panama's Bruce Kanegai found himself severely constipated.
Other times, the blame falls on the producers. In 2012, contestant Kourtney Moon broke her wrist during an ill-conceived challenge that had contestants jumping from a 25-ft. tower into a net.
But no Survivor has been quite as brutal and chaotic as last week's episode, where contestants spent nearly an hour digging in hot sand for bags of balls.
- 3/14/2016
- by Steve Helling, @stevehelling
- People.com - TV Watch
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