Who was ‘Dakota’ Fred Hurt?
Learn more about 'Dakota' Fred Hurt. He was known for appearing on Discovery's 'Gold Rush' before his death.
Posted on 25/02/2024 at 14:00
- Who was ‘Dakota’ Fred Hurt?
- He starred in Discovery’s Gold Rush.
- He left the show due to disagreements over money.
‘Dakota’ Fred Hurt, known for his role in the reality show Gold Rush, passed away at the age of 80 on July 11, 2023, due to brain cancer.
He is remembered for appearing in the gold mining reality series.
Through a statement on social media, Fred’s family revealed that he bravely battled cancer.
«He touched many lives and was loved and supported by many.» Condolences soon poured in. May he rest in peace.
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According to Entertainment Weekly, ‘Dakota’ Fred Hurt appeared on a number of Discovery Channel reality shows.
He made valuable contributions using his expertise in gold mining, a career he began in North Dakota.
However, it was on Gold Rush where he achieved greater popularity, appearing in the show for four seasons.
Together with his son Dustin, he hosted the show Gold Rush: White Water, which premiered in 2018 and lasted only a year.
Searching for gold
Both Fred Hurt and his son Dustin were part of a team that searched for gold in white water collection pools.
These were located at the base of the waterfalls in Alaska, where father and son battled against the elements.
In addition to Gold Rush, the miner appeared in Gold Rush: The Legend of Porcupine Creek and Gold Rush: South America.
It is worth noting that he passed away just four months after announcing his cancer diagnosis.
‘Dakota’ Fred Hurt’s final Facebook post
On May 14, 2023, Mother’s Day, Fred Hurt shared a post on Facebook, unaware that it would be his last.
«Happy Mother’s Day to my aunt Rita, 101 years old, seen here with my cousin Edward. He’s a lucky man to have such a wonderful mother.»
Born on July 10, 1943, Fred was married to Jennifer Sheets. He divorced his first wife, Lorrayne Frances Leier, in 2015.
Jenni Hurt shared several posts with her beloved husband weeks before his tragic death.
Why did he leave Gold Rush?
According to Sensacine, Fred Hurt bought the land where Gold Rush was filmed and forced the Hoffmans, who were leasing it so they could look for gold there, to leave.
He ended his relationship with the Hoffmans and never appeared on screen again.
It was said that the real reason for his departure was that he wanted a quieter life, and there were even rumors that he had been kidnapped.
Many people were unhappy about his exit from this popular show.
He parted ways with Discovery over money
It is said that Fred Hurt left Gold Rush because he believed he would have greater success on his own.
According to Sensacine, he wanted more money from Discovery Channel.
«If you need a miner, call me. If you need an actor, pay me like one,» he said in an interview about leaving the show.
He also made a documentary called All That Glitters, where he showed his obsession with diverting a waterfall in his search for mines along the Dalton/Klondike trail.
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