There’s an episode of Survivor: Kaôh Rōng where three contestants had to be treated for heat stroke during a challenge, and one of them, Caleb Reynolds, was in such bad shape that he had to be medically evacuated. His body temperature reportedly reached 110 degrees(!!) and his heart rate continued to drop. Even though viewers knew that he ended up being okay, it was still a very scary moment of television. He was in the ICU for five days. The kicker? His team was playing for second place, which was a prize of salt and pepper.
Reality TV history somewhat repeated itself on the first episode of Discovery’s new series, Survive the Raft, where nine people who are “handpicked to disagree about everything” spend 21 days on a raft together in hopes of winning $250,000. During the premiere, a 38-year-old cast member, Rabbi Jonathan Dade, suffered a seizure after being out all day fishing in the Panama heat. He had to be evacuated from the show.
If reality shows have taught us anything, it’s that people will stop at nothing in their quest for fame and fortune. Even … die. Or close to it, anyway.
That’s what nearly happened on the very first episode of a new Discovery series, Survive the Raft, which premiered Sunday, bringing back a social experiment from 50 years ago. And despite having a group of nine Americans that were “handpicked to disagree about everything,” it was a serious medical emergency that quickly drew everyone together during the premiere.
The series is based on a 1973 social experiment called “Peace Project” from anthropologist Santiago Genovés, that was later the subject of a 2018 documentary. He put 11 people from all walks of life on a tiny raft in the Atlantic for a trip that took 101 days to complete and was described on Survive the Raft as descending into “conflict, chaos and near mutiny.”
It remains to be seen if the group on this new show will meet a similar fate, but a prize of $250,000 should go a long way to dredging up the drama. And while some conversations had already elicited tense moments in the premiere episode, Sunday’s real drama came when 38-year-old rabbi and cast member Jonathan Dade suffered a seizure after being out fishing in the sun all day. His fellow cast mates were quick to take action, calling for a medic and making sure he went onto his side.
Dade was taken off the raft for further examination with hopes of returning. Unfortunately, host Nate Boyer came to the raft later and informed the other eight people that Dade needed to be taken for further evaluation and would not be returning.
That is terrifying. I don’t know any of the circumstances leading up to the seizure or if Dade had an underlying condition, but why wasn’t production out there making sure everyone was staying hydrated and checking vitals? Is Greg Abbott producing this show? Maybe Dade ignored or just misinterpreted his body’s warning signs? I totally understand that some people are very competitive, others are motivated by money, and that for many, it’s both. I get that. Whatever it was, in my opinion, nothing involving a reality TV show is worth dying over. Not the 15 minutes of fame, not the money, not even the salt and pepper.
Carina is doing a great job covering some of the terrible real-time effects of climate change. It’s so hot here in the Southern US that we’ve barely left the house. I can’t even tell my kids to go outside and play during the day because it’s been so miserable lately. I would imagine that Panama, where Survive the Raft is filmed, is just as hot and humid depending on the month.
Also, why do we need another reality show with Americans who are “handpicked to disagree about everything”? Is anyone on any side or middle of the aisle asking for something like this?
As a Texan, I’m offput and confused over the photos with Greg Abbott. I’m sick of him being the governor of our state. He’s done so much damage.
I sure hope Rabbi Dade recovers well! That must have been so scary for him and the other people on the raft.
This does not look like a show I’ll be watching.
Hi Abby I’m sorry about your governor. The guy shown with him is Rabbi Dade. I did the pics for Rosie and that is the contestant who had a seizure in the heat. It’s possible you already knew this and you’re just confused as to why he would willingly pose with him, I just wanted to clarify.
Yes, thank you for the clarification! I clicked over to his instagram (which confusingly is not actually him? Just someone else posting for him?) and it looks like he’s taken photos with Abbott on more than one occasion. Which is quite the choice. I was confused as to why he 1. took photos with Abbott and 2. posted them.
Another Texan here. The irony of this man involved with a survival and water themed show while he’s installing razor wire on buoys in the water in the Rio Grande. Hate this man with the fire of a thousand suns. Lord to the press about the law enforcement response at Uvalde too.
I help forensic ID on perished migrants and this guy is involved with a show with this theme? I don’t have the words.
Abbott needs to be on a raft fighting for his life. That was a jump scare to see him on here.
Hey Von Barron! 🙂 Abbott isn’t involved! The contestant, Rabbi Jonathan Dade, is from Texas and posed for pictures with Gov. Abbott. The header picture is Rabbi Dade with Abbott but not in the show’s capacity! That picture was taken May 4 and is on the Facebook page for Rabbi Dade’s organization, Messiah Echad.
@ Lucy, I am there right with you. Abbott the Abomination is an incompetent, corrupt, vile, dishonest and inhumane governor that should absolutely be put onto a raft never to be seen again. 👿 I wake up embarrassed and disgusted every single day while he is governor. 👿
Though I do hope that Rabbi Dade survives and that he has no permanent damage.
@Lucy Jump scare! LOL that’s the word I was looking for. Not quite “triggering” but it was a jolt. LOL
Soon it will be a real life Hunger Games
I googled the 1973 project this was based on. The anthropologist’s thesis was, ‘“Most conflicts,” he noted, “are about sexual access to ovulating females.” So they had ‘sexually attractive’ men & women (five each) stuck on this raft that sailed from the Canary Islands to Mexico. I have no words. Why try to replicate that??
Only someone as deviant and selfish would come up with the idea of trying to replicate this into a reality show. All for some salt and pepper??
I hope that given what has happened to Rabbi Dade that this show is cancelled never to be seen or heard from again.
I’m sick of these idiotic shows.