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Gold Rush's Dakota Fred Hurt, a fan favorite and veteran star passed away on July 11, 2023. His family took to social media to announce his demise through Facebook and stated that he “fought courageously in his battle against cancer.”
"Fred touched many lives and was loved and supported by many," the post continued.
The American gold miner and reality star had a net worth of $6 million as reported by Celebrity Net Worth and is credited for his work on television and his mining expeditions.
Gold Rush star Dakota Fred Hurt’s career explored
The veteran television personality and American gold miner was born in Minot, North Dakota, and started his career in the 1960s when he worked as a commercial diver.
During his time as a diver, he gained knowledge of underwater salvage, demolition, and expedition and went on to start his own construction business.
However, after spending over two decades running his own business, the Gold Rush star decided to switch to mining. He didn't find success right away.
Hurt made his way to Nevada, Wyoming, and Montana in 2008 but returned to Alaska where he mined the frozen land of the Arctic Circle in the Little Squaq Lake. At the lake, he designed, built, and operated a gold processing plant with a team of five men. Together, they extracted more than 600 ounces of gold.
Fred Hurt appeared in a total of 61 episodes of Gold Rush. In his first-ever appearance on the Discovery show, titled, Between Craziness & Insanity, Fred and his son, Dustin returned to McKinley Creek to mine gold, but the Alaskan winter destroyed their mining equipment.
Following Hurt's demise, the Discovery Show took to social media to pay homage to him, stating that “the Gold Rush family is saddened” by his passing.
"His joy for life and adventure was contagious. We share our heartfelt condolences with his family, friends, and all who loved him," it continued.
Fred earned the nickname Dakota Fred due to his roots and in the 10 years he spent in Alaska, mined more than $750,000 in gold from Porcupine Creek.
Hurt appeared in several spin-offs of the Discovery show such as South America, The Legend of Porcupine Creek, and White Water, on which he appeared along with his son Dustin Hurt.
Hurt was diagnosed with stage four brain cancer
Earlier this year, in March 2023, the Gold Rush cast member opened up about his diagnosis. The co-owner of Thrill of the Hunt Entertainment LLC, Dakota Fred Hurt revealed his diagnosis through a press statement.
At the time, the Gold Rush star said that he has lived a full 80 years of an “interesting life.” He added that if he emerges from the dark diagnosis, he will have another adventure to share with fans.
The news of the miner’s demise comes four months after his diagnosis. Hurt’s family has encouraged miners to donate to the Mike Rowe Works Foundation in his honor. They noted that he worked in skilled labor for the majority of his career, and was passionate about teaching these valuable skills to others.
Gold Rush is set to return to screens this year and will feature Rick Ness.
