Author Topic: Amazing Race' Advance Man Dies From Poisoning In Africa  (Read 4555 times)

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Offline TexasLady

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Amazing Race' Advance Man Dies From Poisoning In Africa
« on: February 21, 2012, 05:24:08 PM »
EXCLUSIVE: 'Amazing Race' advance man dies from poisoning in Africa
By Meaghan Murphy
Published February 21, 2012

Tragedy has hit a team in charge of facilitating challenges for “The Amazing Race” and other reality shows on the continent of Africa, a source close to the show tells FoxNews.com.

At least two freelance facilitating producers were poisoned -- one fatally -- after a failed shakedown attempt, the source told FoxNews.com.

FoxNews.com also spoke with a person who identified herself as a family member who said the facilitator who died was Jeff Rice.

The family member said Rice's body was found in Uganda.

Details are sketchy, but the source said that after refusing to give in to the demands of local thugs, Rice and another facilitator ended up very sick with poisoning of some kind.

Rice was not currently working on “The Amazing Race,” but he had worked on Season 20, which premiered on CBS on Sunday. Rice had also worked on Animal Planet's "Whale Wars" and the South African version of "The Biggest Loser," along with several other series and television movies.

A rep for Jerry Bruckheimer Films, the production company behind “The Amazing Race,” said that he had “no knowledge” of the incident.

CBS had no comment.

Facilitators are typically local people hired by production companies to make necessary arrangements with local officials before producers come in to shoot scenes for their shows.

“The Amazing Race” features multiple teams of two competing in a race around the world to win $1,000,000 in prize money. The series became a sensation when it first aired on CBS in September 2001 and continues to be one of the network's highest rated shows.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2012/02/21/source-amazing-race-advance-man-dies-after-being-poisoned-in-africa/?intcmp=trending#ixzz1n3sbbwWE
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Offline coolio

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Re: Amazing Race' Advance Man Dies From Poisoning In Africa
« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2012, 05:27:50 PM »
That's not good. My condolences go out to his family.


Offline TexasLady

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Re: Amazing Race' Advance Man Dies From Poisoning In Africa
« Reply #2 on: February 21, 2012, 05:29:29 PM »
Mine too!  :'(
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Offline Prophet

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Re: Amazing Race' Advance Man Dies From Poisoning In Africa
« Reply #3 on: February 21, 2012, 06:29:48 PM »
that's terrible :'( Hope his family is ok
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Offline AmazingRace

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Re: Amazing Race' Advance Man Dies From Poisoning In Africa
« Reply #4 on: February 22, 2012, 04:01:40 AM »
Condolences to his family.  :'(


Offline theamazingracer21

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Re: Amazing Race' Advance Man Dies From Poisoning In Africa
« Reply #5 on: February 22, 2012, 04:47:42 AM »
Condolences to his family.  :'(

I dont like it when people die  :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

Offline SuperTux

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'Amazing Race' Facilitator Jeff Rice Dies, Body Found In Uganda
« Reply #6 on: February 26, 2012, 09:02:30 AM »
News from huffingtonpost
Quote
Two freelance facilitators for the CBS show "The Amazing Race" were poisoned in Uganda, Fox News reports. Jeff Rice, one of those attacked, died as a result of the attack, which appears to have been a shakedown attempt.

UPDATE: Sources close to the show have provided The Huffington Post with a few more details about Jeff Rice's role on the show. Jeff Rice was a "local freelance facilitator" on the show that they had worked with in the past, most recently on Season 20, which was shot several months ago. Show sources reiterated that Rice was not working for "The Amazing Race" at the time of his death, and while he does have producer credits on the show according to IMDb, they state that he was not an employee of the show or a full-time producer on it.

According to new information reported in The Daily Monitor, police have said Rice died of a cocaine overdose. This news contradicts previous reports which indicated he was poisoned. The Daily Monitor also identifies Rice's companion at the time as Catherine Fuller, who is said to have also been found unconscious and is currently in a coma.

The Daily Mail quotes Rice's widow, Sally Blackman, who said "[evidence points towards [Rice and Fuller] being poisoned."

MSNBC interviewed Blackman's brother, who said he believes the cause of death is completely unknown at this time: "There's so much stuff in the air about possible poisoning, all that kind of stuff. At the moment, we're trying to get Jeff's body out of there to get some answers."

Rice and Blackman were married in 2001 and had two children. The Mail says Ugandan police are investigating the incident further and describes Rice's role as a facilitator as someone who "would have been hired by the production company to make arrangements with local officials before teams arrived for filming."

We'll continue to update the story as more information is available.
好像用中文做签名档会比较酷。

Offline SuperTux

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Re: 'Amazing Race' Facilitator Jeff Rice Dies, Body Found In Uganda
« Reply #7 on: February 26, 2012, 09:04:53 AM »
The recent update indicates his death did not result from poison, but from cocaine overdose.

From nydailynews

Quote
The mystery surrounding the death last week of an American-born television producer in a Uganda hotel room deepened as reports surfaced that cocaine may have killed him - not poison, as his widow earlier claimed.

Jeff Rice, 39, whose television credits included freelance work on "The Amazing Race" and other reality adventure programs, was found dead on a balcony outside a luxury room in the Ugandan capital of Kampala last week, local police told ABC News.

His assistant, Katheryne Fuller, was unconscious in the room and rushed to a local hospital, where she was said to be recovering.

Family members, including Rice's wife, Sally Blackman, initially said it appeared as though two were poisoned after refusing a shakedown by local gang members.

But local cops told ABC News that Rice likely OD'd on cocaine.

"Those were misreported rumors about this being some kind of attack by thugs," Uganda police spokesman Asuman Mugenyi said.

"We do not believe that, and we do not believe this was any type of food poisoning. Again, we are still investigating and will know much more when we can talk to Ms. Fuller," Mugenyi told the network.

Rice’s brother-in-law told ABC News he couldn’t comment on the overdose reports, noting the investigation into Rice’s death was ongoing.

According to a website for his company, SB Productions, Rice and his wife had been producing films, documentaries, TV shows and commercials from their home base in South Africa since 1999.

The Oklahoma native had worked as a freelance facilitator for the globe-trotting CBS reality show "The Amazing Race," but wasn't a full time employee and wasn't working on the show at the time of his death.

His other credits included work on Animal Planet's "Whale Wars," and "The Biggest Loser South Africa," along with other shows.

Fuller's father, Stuart, told ABC News that the two were working on documentary in Uganda with other crew members.

He was with his daughter at the hospital, but didn't know what made her sick.

"She is okay. We are trying to get her back to South Africa. She needs medical attention that they can't do here," he said.

As word of the young producer's death spread, several of his colleagues offered condolences on Twitter.

"Floored by the loss of my dear friend & fellow adventurer, Jeff Rice," wrote Josh Gates, host of the SyFy Channel's "Destination Truth."

"You were, quite simply, the real deal. I'll never forget you."
好像用中文做签名档会比较酷。

Offline SuperTux

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Re: 'Amazing Race' Facilitator Jeff Rice Dies, Body Found In Uganda
« Reply #8 on: February 26, 2012, 09:08:05 AM »
Not sure what a freelance facilitator is...

Is a freelance facilitator someone who contacts local corporations, communities or something else, to design and perform the challenges on the show?
好像用中文做签名档会比较酷。

Offline Prophet

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Re: Amazing Race' Advance Man Dies From Poisoning In Africa
« Reply #9 on: February 26, 2012, 01:51:04 PM »
I think he is someone who knew local businesses and people and was a middleman between them and other companies. Shows like TAR have to get in contact with people like this to set up the specific locations they need.
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Offline slayton

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Re: Amazing Race' Advance Man Dies From Poisoning In Africa
« Reply #11 on: February 26, 2012, 07:10:11 PM »
Awful. Glad to hear of an arrest.
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Offline slayton

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Re: Amazing Race' Advance Man Dies From Poisoning In Africa
« Reply #12 on: February 29, 2012, 06:36:14 PM »
More updates:
Paralyzed assistant to dead 'Amazing Race' producer stuck in Uganda after police say she will be arrested following recovery from contaminated cocaine
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2107275/Kathryn-Fuller-Amazing-Race-producers-assistant-arrested-Uganda-following-recovery.html

Dad distraught over daughter's drug horror
http://www.iol.co.za/news/africa/dad-distraught-over-daughter-s-drug-horror-1.1243111