Jordan Karlesson
Melanie Rauscher, a contestant who appeared in two reality-TV shows on the Discovery Channel, has died, TMZ reported on Sunday.
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Naked and Afraid contestant Melanie Rauscher, 35, died in Prescott, Arizona, on a yet-undetermined date. She was reportedly dogs-sitting for neighbors during their vacation.
When the neighbors returned home on July 17, they found Melanie Rauscher’s body on a bed in their guest room.
The cause of her death is not yet known.
What Happened To Melanie Rauscher?
Police didn’t find any signs of foul play or drug user, according to Deadline. Also, Melanie Rauscher didn’t leave a suicide note, per Deadline’s report.
Melanie Rauscher competed on both Naked and Afraid in 2013, as well as its spinoff, Naked and Afraid XL.
TMZ said she was surrounded by cans of dust cleaner, which some people inhale for its psychoactive effects. On Monday, many media outlets speculated about what happened to Melanie Rauscher and called the circumstances surrounding her death “mysterious.”
One of Rauscher’s former competitors on Naked and Afraid posted a tribute to his fallen friend on Facebook.
“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,” the post read. “She was my swamp wife, a best friend, a strong woman, an amazing person and I’ll always cherish our moments together. … The world lost an amazing person. Please keep her family and friends in your prayers. See you again my Queen.”
Inhaling dust cleaner is actually more common than most would believe. According to The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NDA), 10 percent of Americans age 12 or older misused inhalants in 2015.
American Addiction Centers says, even if the user is trying an inhalant for the first time, the results can be fatal.
NDA says 100 to 200 people die annually from issues that stem from abusing inhalants.
