Former “Survivor” contestant Caleb Bankston was killed in a railway accident Tuesday.
Bankston, 26, died when the train he was on derailed in Birmingham, Alabama, People confirms.
The Alabama native (who, according to his Facebook page, worked as a locomotive engineer/conductor at Alabama Warrior Railway) rose to fame in 2013 when he competed on “Survivor: Blood vs. Water” with his fiancé, Colton Cumbie. (The couple finished in ninth place.)
Fellow contestant Aras Baskauskas called Bankston an “amazing man and friend.”
“One of the sweetest and most sincere humans I’ve ever come across. I am gutted by his loss. My thoughts and prayers are with his family,” he said.
Billy Garcia tweeted his thoughts: “Shocking news: We lost a member of our #Suvivor fraternity to a workplace accident. R.I.P. Caleb Bankston! My condolences to his loved ones.”
Sabrina Thompson, who competed with Colton’s fiancé, Cumbie, said, “While playing ‘Survivor’ with Colton, he would talk about his boyfriend, Caleb, around the clock 24/7. Within seconds of meeting Caleb at the finale and ‘Survivor’ events, it’s no wonder why he raved about him. You were instantly drawn to his big smile, warm spirit and Southern charm. May God rest his soul … gone too soon.”
Bankston is the third “Survivor” contestant to die in recent years. Last year, BB Anderson died of brain cancer at 77, and in 2010, Jenn Lyon died after a lengthy battle with breast cancer.