Alone Australia: Some of the brutal reasons US contestants tapped out of the wild

SBS debuted its cult-hit survival series Alone Australia on Wednesday night with a double episode, tracking 10 survivalists as they head into the wilderness of Western Tasmania.

Spoilers below for the first two episodes of Alone Australia, and US series of Alone

Stripped of modern possessions, contact and comforts, the contestants must last as long as they can without “tapping out” – the last one standing wins $250,000.

With two episodes of Alone Australia having aired, the 10 are already down to seven. Both Rob and Beck tapped out early (Rob missed his family, and Beck couldn’t get a fire going), with Jimmy coming down with a serious enough case of Covid-19 to be medically evacuated on Day Two.

See Also: Alone Australia: Everything you need to know about the contestants

The show is based on an existing format, with the show already having popular versions in the US (the original version) and Scandinavia. 

To get a sense of what the Alone Australia contestants may be up against, here are some of the reasons (outside of loneliness and missing family) that US contestants on Alone have ended their stay in the wild. 

Season one - 2015

Josh Chavez – 12 hours – Scared by a bear
Chris Weatherman – 36 Hours – Scared by wolves
Brant McGee – 6 days – Drank salt water
Dustin Feher – 8 days – Scared by a storm

Season two - 2016

Desmond White – 6 hours – Scared by a bear
Mary Kate Green – 7 days – Medically evacuated after splitting her tendon with axe
Tracy Wilson – 8 days – Scared by a bear
Jose Martinez Amoedo – 59 days – Fell off his kayak and into the river

Season three - 2016/17

Zachary Gault – 8 days – Medically evacuated after cutting his arm with an axe
Greg Ovens – 51 days – Hypothermia
Megan Hanacek – 78 days – Had broken two molars, and had jaw pain

Season five - 2018

Carleigh Fairchild – 5 days – Medically evacuated because of a fish hook in her hand
Brad Richardson – 7 days – Had no food the whole week he was in the wild
Nicole Apelian – 9 days – Medically evacuated because of an MS attack
Jesse Bosdell – 24 days – Medically evacuated due to constipation and a possible fecal impaction

Season six - 2019

Tim Backus – 4 days – Medically evacuated after he broke his ankle
Donny Dust – 8 days – Medically evacuated because of food poisoning
Michelle Wohlberg – 48 days – Medically evacuated due to constipation and a possible impacted bowel
Nathan Donnelly – 72 days – His entire shelter burned down

Season seven - 2020

Shawn Helton – 10 days – Lost his fire starter
Correy Hawk – 12 days – Medically evacuated due to a torn meniscus and partially torn MCL
Mark D'Ambrosio – 44 days – Trichinosis (a parasitic disease caused by roundworms)
Callie Russell – 89 days – Medically evacuated due to frostbite on her toes

Season eight - 2021

Tim Madsen – 6 days – Medically evacuated due to an anxiety attack and chest pain
Nate Weber – 24 days – Food poisoning
Rose Anna Moore – 37 days – Medically evacuated due to frostbite and malnutrition
Biko Wright – 73 days – Starvation, leading to heart palpitations

Season nine - 2022

Benji Hill – 27 days – Medically evacuated with a Giardia infection (parasites that live in the small intestines)
Tom Garstang – 43 days – Injured his back and knee after a fall
Jessie Krebs – 46 days – Medically evacuated with stomach inflammation
Karie Lee Knoke – 75 days – Starvation and exhaustion

All seasons of Alone are available on SBS on Demand.