Alaska is in mourning after one of its residents turned reality star Jimmy Gojdics was shot Sunday, May 3 in what authorities are calling a homicide. Gojdics, who appeared on the second season of National Geographic Channel's reality competition show Ultimate Survival Alaska, was 69.
Alaska State Troopers were called to the Fairbanks home of Gojdics (who sometimes spelled his name as it is pronounced, 'Gaydos') on Sunday, and found the retired ironworker and outdoorsman shot but still alive. He was pronounced dead after being transported to a local hospital.
Though there have been no details released about possible suspects, the case is being investigated as a homicide, according to trooper spokesman Tim Despain. Local news outlet Newsminer.com reports that Gojdics' body is being transferred to the Alaska State Medical Examiner.
An upstate New York native, Gojdics had no family, but many friends in his local Fairbanks community, and his friend, Janine Carlson told Newsminer that he wintered in South America as often as possible. "Everyone was his friend and he met someone everywhere," Carlson said.
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Gojdics appeared on the 2014 second season of Nat Geo's Ultimate Survival Alaska — in which extreme survivalists compete to outlast other teams in the Alaska wild — as part of the Woodsmen team. His team finished fourth after Gojdics sustained an injury that prevented his team from continuing in the competition.
"We were saddened to learn of Mr. Gaydos's untimely passing and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family at this difficult time," the National Geographic Channel told Us Weekly in an email.
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