Gold Rush Star 'Dakota' Fred Hurt Dead At 80

Fred Hurt became a household name thanks to "Gold Rush," and as the series gained its footing and became a widely-watched Discovery hit, he found himself on multiple shows. In 2013 he made a guest appearance on an episode of the short-lived "Gold Rush: South America" — specifically Season 1's "The Frozen North." He then jumped over to "Gold Rush: The Legend of Porcupine Creek" and later "Gold Rush: The Dirt," where he racked up 15 episodes across Seasons 1, 2, 6, and 7.

Odds are if you aren't familiar with Hurt's work on "Gold Rush," you know him for "Gold Rush: White Water." Seeing as he features in a whopping 61 episodes, it's fair to say that he became a fixture of the spin-off with ease. For reference, that's two more episodes than he appeared in for the first "Gold Rush" franchise installment. The last episode of "White Water" he appeared in before his death was Season 6's "Hell from the Heavens," which reached the airwaves for the first time on June 2.

Mining for gold isn't for everyone. It's dirty, tedious, and can be incredibly dangerous, but for Dakota Fred Hurt, it was the perfect thing to build a life and career on. The "Gold Rush" icon will be sorely missed.