Kyle Fraser‘s time on “Survivor 50” came to a sudden and painful end when he suffered a serious injury while the cameras were rolling. Now, the reality TV contestant has opened up about what happened when he was evacuated from the show, even revealing that he fought hard to stay in the competition.
For those who missed the cringe-worthy action, the unfortunate incident happened during an immunity challenge. Entertainment Weekly explains that “Kyle got himself to the top of the ramp, but when Colby Donaldson couldn’t get up as the last man down, Kyle went back down the ramp to help his tribemate back up. Then Kyle attempted to leap up himself, and everything went awry.”
“In what was originally thought to be an ankle injury, Kyle appeared to have major damage to his Achilles tendon. The challenge was temporarily shut down as the medical department examined Kyle,” EW added. “They allowed him to continue, and tribemates helped him get up the ramp, but a further examination on day 4 by Dr. Joe revealed the potential for serious long-term damage if not treated immediately. Kyle was therefore pulled from the game.”
Kyle Fraser Broke Down the Evacuation
“Can you take us through what happened after you got on that boat to leave the game?” Entertainment Weekly asked Kyle.
“I had one night at Ponderosa. I got there, Jenna was there. We had a lovely night together. I spent the following morning there and I was out back to the United States immediately,” Kyle recalled. “We flew to L.A., I got to see my brother in the airport lounge for maybe 30 minutes, and then I was back to New York within, I think, 32 hours. I went to the doctor immediately, got checked out. They confirmed that it was a full tear in the Achilles and that I needed surgery. And I believe I had surgery probably four to five days later, because you have to get it done as quickly as possible.”
Addressing the difficulty traveling while injured, Kyle added, “CBS had to send an escort with me because I couldn’t do anything. I had to be wheeled around everywhere. I couldn’t carry my bags. I was so grateful that they were able to do that. Got to fly first class, don’t normally do that.”
Kyle Fraser Tried to Get Jeff Probst to Let Him Stay
“I would’ve stayed. Jeff [Probst] obviously had my best interest at heart. Same with Dr. Joe. It was clear that I needed to go,” Kyle told Entertainment Weekly.
“But I argued with them for quite some time. Jeff will tell you. I mean, we argued for a long time,” Kyle continued. “I told him I’m a lawyer, I’d sign a waiver. I want to stay out there because I think my tribe was definitely going to keep me.”
He went on to say, “I would’ve stayed and gone for as long as possible, though.”
