'Survivor' Star Killed: Caleb Bankston Dies After Being Crushed Between Two Train Cars
Caleb Bankston died in a horrific accident on Tuesday.
Bankston, who starred on last year's Survivor: Blood vs. Water, was crushed to death between two rail cars after the car he was riding on derailed.
"[Bankston] was checking on something in the small space between two of the cars when the train went off the tracks," TMZ reported on June 25. "Cops say the rear car slammed into the forward car ... with Bankston caught helplessly in between."
Bankston appeared on Survivor's 2013 challenge alongside his fiance, Colton Cumbie, and came in ninth place. Since the show, Bankston and Cumbie's relationship continued to thrive.
Although Cumbie's Twitter account is currently private, he reportedly sent out a tweet, which read, "I just wish it was me," after Bankston's death.
Following Bankston's tragic passing, several of his former co-stars spoke to Us Weekly.
"He was an incredible guy with a warm and inviting spirit," Survivor star Sabrina Thompson told the magazine. "The world has lost a gentle soul...gone too soon."
Thompson also spoke out about her heartache for what Cumbie must be going through. Speaking to Us Weekly, Thompson remembered their time in the dessert together, revealing that Bankston was all Cumbie spoke about when they were apart.
According to TMZ, Tuesday's train accident was considered to be an "industrial accident," which means the Federal Railroad Administration and the railway company’s safety officer will conduct separate investigations.
At this point, it is unknown what led to the train car's derailment.