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The reality TV star was involved in a collision in Kahala on Sunday (October 20) evening. According to local TV station KSLA, Danser was a passenger in the car when a 59-year-old male driver lost control of the vehicle and collided with a parked car. She was hospitalized and listed in critical condition before dying two days later.
Both the driver of the car and the woman in the parked car were hospitalized in serious condition. Police confirmed speed appeared to be a factor, not drugs or alcohol.
Danser, originally from Castle Rock, Colorado, had been living in Hawaii for about 12 years as a master diver, boat captain, survivalist, and self-described “pirate.”
“Magical is the way to describe her. Sarah had this positive energy about her that just really filled the environment that she was in,” her brother, Jake Danser, told KSLA.
“I actually saw how much of a difference she made in the lives of others,” her father, Dan Danser, said. “I think she saved my life once, diving in Indonesia.”
Family members also said she survived breast cancer twice.
She first appeared on season eight of Naked and Afraid – in which one male and one female contestant must attempt to survive in extreme environments without food, water or clothes – in 2017. She returned to the show for season 11 in 2020, and went on to appear on three seasons of the show’s all-star edition, Naked and Afraid XL.
“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,” Island Divers Hawaii wrote on Facebook, alongside a screenshot of Danser’s final Instagram post.
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The selfie pictured Danser smiling on a boat, as she captioned the image: “Who recognizes this boat? Look who’s driving her!”
Danser’s friend and fellow diver, Tim Mason, said the community is heartbroken.
“She was smart. She went under the water. She found food, slugs and snails and stuff like that,” he told the outlet. “She knew what to do to survive and she did great.”
