Remembering the 17 Survivor Contestants Who Have Died Since Competing on the Show

1. Jennifer Lyon – Survivor: Palau — died Jan. 19, 2010, from breast cancer.

2. B.B. Andersen – Survivor: Borneo — died Oct. 29, 2013, from brain cancer.

3. Caleb Bankston – Survivor: Blood vs. Water — died June 24, 2014, in a railway accident.

4. Dan Kay – Survivor: Gabon — died Dec. 31, 2016 (cause unspecified).

5. Ashley Massaro – Survivor: China — died May 16, 2019 (suicide).

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6. Rudy Boesch – Survivor: Borneo, All-Stars — died Nov. 1, 2019 from Alzheimer’s complications.

7. Cliff Robinson – Survivor: Cagayan — died Aug. 29, 2020 from lymphoma.

8. Angie Jakusz – Survivor: Palau — died Jan. 8, 2021 from cancer.

9. Sunday Burquest – Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X — died Apr. 17, 2021 from esophageal & ovarian cancer.

10. Ralph Kiser – Survivor: Redemption Island — died Apr. 20, 2022 from a heart attack.

11. Dan Lembo – Survivor: Nicaragua — died Sept. 3, 2022 from progressive supranuclear palsy.

12. Roger Sexton – Survivor: The Amazon — died Oct. 26, 2022 from Lewy body dementia.

13. Keith Nale – Survivor: San Juan del Sur, Cambodia — died Apr. 19, 2023 after battling cancer.

14. Kim Johnson – Survivor: Africa — died July 23, 2024 (cancer).

15. Sonja Christopher – Survivor: Borneo — died Apr. 26, 2024 (long illness).

16. Jane Bright – Survivor: Nicaragua — died May 15, 2025 at age 71.

17. Sunday Burquest – *Note: Already listed above, but confirmed in multiple sources as part of the 17 count.

🧠 Quick Notes

• These deaths span multiple seasons across Survivor’s 25+ year history and represent a range of causes — from illness and cancer to tragic accidents.

• Some, like Rudy Boesch and Keith Nale, were beloved fan favorites whose personalities left a lasting impact on the Survivor community.

• Jennifer Lyon was one of the earliest contestants to pass and her death led to a memorable tribute on Survivor specials.