| Advertisement |
July 24 (UPI) -- Melanie Rauscher, who competed multiple times on the hit reality show "Naked and Afraid," was found dead at a home in Arizona earlier this month, it was revealed Sunday. She was 35. Her obituary said she "passed away suddenly" on July 17, though further details about her death were not given.
Advertisement
Rauscher was dog sitting at a home in Prescott when the homeowners were away on vacation, Prescott Police Department spokesperson Corey Kasun told TMZ.
Her body was found by the homeowners on a bed in the guest room near cans of dust cleaner, and Kasun told TMZ that there were no obvious signs of foul play.
The Yavapai County Medical Examiner will determine her cause of death. Police noted that the dog Rauscher had been watching was okay.
The reality show "Naked and Afraid" first aired on the Discovery Channel in 2013 and follows contestants struggling to survive in the wilderness without clothes, food or water provided.
Rauscher competed on the main series in 2017, appearing in two episodes titled "Curse of the Swamp," her IMDb page shows. She then appeared in 11 episodes of the show's spinoff, "Naked and Afraid XL."
Before competing in the reality series, Rauscher attended Old Dominion University in Virginia before serving in the U.S. Navy aboard the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt CVN-17 during the Iraq War, according to her obituary.
Rauscher was employed with the Prescott VA Medical Center at the time of her death.
"She was an avid outdoor enthusiast who loved nature and all creatures big and small. Melanie loved camping and hiking and finding adventure wherever she could," her obituary reads.
"Mel was a passionate athlete and deeply involved in local adult leagues. She was a diehard Eagles fan. She was a natural comedian, and her wit was unmatched. Melanie's boisterous laugh will echo in the hearts and minds of her loved ones forever."
Her family has requested that donations be made to the PTSD Foundation of America, "an organization for which Melanie had a deep devotion," in lieu of flowers.
"She came into my life in a way I can't explain. We had such a chemistry on the show and it blossomed into a friendship that goes beyond words could describe," said Jeremy McCaa, who competed with Rauscher on the show, in a Facebook post.
"Even though we wasn't blood, we was family. I could always count on her. We had so many moments when we would just be there for each other. She was my swamp wife, a best friend, a strong woman, an amazing person and I'll always cherish our moments together."
