'Naked and Afraid' series contestant dies at age 35
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- A two-time contestant on Discovery's "Naked and Afraid" passed away on July 17.
- 35-year-old Melanie Rauscher was found dead while dogsitting in Prescott, Arizona.
- Her cause of death is unknown.
A contestant on the "Naked and Afraid" franchise series, 35-year-old Melanie Rauscher, was found dead on July 17 while dogsitting, TMZ reported.
The tabloid reported the owners of the dog found her dead in their Prescott, Arizona, home beside several cans of compressed air. Her cause of death remains unknown.
She was cast on both "Naked and Afraid" in 2017 and "Naked and Afraid XL," a 2018 spinoff of the original show that aired on the Discovery Channel.
Jeremy McCaa, also a contestant in both shows and a friend of Rauscher, told PEOPLE: "We just clicked from the moment we met. She was like the sister I never had; our relationship became like siblings and we shared a special bond."
"She always put other people before herself. She was really well loved in the 'Naked and Afraid' community. Everyone will miss her," he added.
An obituary for Rauscher said that she was part of the US Navy aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt CVN-17 during the Iraq War and most recently worked at the Prescott VA Medical Center.
The obituary added: "Melanie's boisterous laugh will echo in the hearts and minds of her loved ones forever."
The obituary notes that donations can be sent to the PTSD Foundation of America, "an organization for which Melanie had a deep devotion," instead of sending flowers to her loved ones.
Police did not mention foul play or drug use in her death, according to Deadline.
Medical News Today reported in May 2022 that "some individuals inhale the gas from air dusters to get a feeling of euphoria." But, they added, "This can lead to serious side effects, including death."
The Prescott Police Department and the Discovery Channel did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.