Survivor Contestant Ralph Kiser Dead At 56

Survivor fans are mourning a beloved cast member.

Ralph Kiser, who starred in season 22 of Survivor: Redemption Island passed away at the age of 56 on Wednesday morning. His family broke the devastating news to The Sun explaining that he died from a sudden heart attack at around 3:15 a.m. The TV personality’s nephew George Kiser shared:

“He was a hardworking man, and a damn good hunter.”

Ralph first took CBS screens when he joined Survivor in 2011. Self-described as “determined, strong-willed, and stubborn,” Kiser was part of the Zapatera tribe and came in ninth place.

It was a dream of the Lebanon, Virginia native to be on the competition series, he announced in his CBS bio:

“I’ve wanted to be on the show for years and knew one day I’d get my chance. I want to be a hometown hero for the folks back home!”

Mourning his loss on Wednesday, Survivor: Ghost Island alum Donathan Hurley tweeted:

“RIP Ralph Kiser! (from Redemption Island) @survivorcbs #Survivor.”

Popular Survivor podcast host Mike Bloom also paid tribute, writing:

“It’s tough to dim the lights on #Survivor day, but it seems that the alumni family has lost another member today: Ralph Kiser from Redemption Island. R.I.P. to one of the few lights in a very dark season, who provided 33 days of accidental idol finding, rooster crowing & more“

It's tough to dim the lights on #Survivor day, but it seems that the alumni family has lost another member today: Ralph Kiser from Redemption Island. R.I.P. to one of the few lights in a very dark season, who provided 33 days of accidental idol finding, rooster crowing & more❤️ pic.twitter.com/ZIJB2wKwnq

— Mike Bloom (@AMikeBloomType) April 20, 2022