Dr. Thierry Costa felt the overwhelming pressure of what he called 'unfair accusations' made against him by the media following Gerald Babin's death in Cambodia.
- Apr 2, 2013
AceShowbiz - Dr. Thierry Costa who worked on "Koh-Lanta", the French version of reality game show "Survivor", has taken his own life. In his suicidal letter, he confessed he was depressed by the "unfair accusations" made against him by media about the death of contestant Gerald Babin.
Since 25-year-old Babin died, French media outlets have questioned the production company over their treatment of the late contestant. Unnamed sources claimed Babin was interviewed on camera despite the fact that he appeared ill. Such action, thus, delayed the doctor's response time.
"In recent days my name has been sullied in the media," the doctor said in his handwritten note. Adding he was "sure of having treated Gerald in a respectable way, as a patient and not as a contestant," he uttered, "Even though I regret this unhappy end, I acted in conformity with the Hippocratic Oath."
Babin passed away Friday, March 22 after suffering cardiac arrest on the first day of filming in Cambodia. He complained of cramps in his arms during a tug-of-war challenge and was treated by the staff doctor on the set before being airlifted by helicopter to a nearby hospital. He suffered a series of cardiac arrests while on his way to the hospital.
Channel Tf1 and the production company, Adventure Line Productions, said in a joint statement, "Adventure Line Productions, Tf1 and (show host) Denis Broginart are devastated and join in the profound sadness of Gerald's family. All of their thoughts are with his parents, his sister, his girlfriend and all those close to him."
They insisted all contestants had cleared extensive medical examinations before filming. On heels of Babin's death, production of the game show was halted and the show was scrapped for the 2013 season.
Cambodian authorities determined that Babin died of natural causes but French officials launched their own investigation into the cause of his death, HerardSun reports.
