The Tragic Story Of Jesse Goins From Gold Rush
When it comes to television these days, there's practically a show for just about anyone, ranging from genres like comedy and crime to reality TV and competition series. For those interested in digging up some of the world's greatest treasures, Discovery's "Gold Rush" might be the program for you. The long-running series follows the lives of miners who embark upon some of the riskiest and most thrilling adventures in hopes of digging up gold that's been hidden under the ground for centuries. The skilled group includes Todd Hoffman, Jack Hoffman, Parker Schnabel, Dave Turin, and more.
"Gold Rush" first aired in December 2010 and has since released 11 seasons in total, with Season 12 set to premiere on September 24. Throughout the course of filming, Discovery has debuted several spin-offs, including "Gold Rush: The Jungle" in 2012, "Gold Rush: South America" in 2013, "Gold Rush: Parker's Trail" in 2017, "Gold Rush: White Water" in 2018, and "Gold Rush: Dave Turin's Lost Mine" in 2019, among others. On his program, Dave takes his viewers on his "spectacular return to gold mining" (via Discovery).
In the time that "Gold Rush: Dave Turin's Lost Mine" has been on the air, three seasons have been released, with the latest concluding in July 2021. Though the series trails Dave as he searches for lost and abandoned mines to resurrect, this past season also gave a glimpse inside a tragedy that occurred on-set when Jesse Goins died in August 2020. Keep scrolling for details.
Jesse Goins was found lying unconscious on set
The cast and crew of "Gold Rush: Dave Turin's Lost Mine" suffered the devastating loss of one of their own when star Jesse Goins died on-set last summer. TMZ reported an incident took place in Colorado on August 18, 2020, in which Goins was found unconscious. A medic administered CPR on-site, but when EMTs rushed the television personality — who was best known for separating and cleaning the mined gold — to the hospital, Jesse was pronounced dead at 60 years old.
The Colorado native's brother, Larry, confirmed the news on Facebook, writing, "Heaven will never be the same!! My brother Jesse went home to be with his Father, Lord and Savior. He will be missed dearly. Love you brother." Though Jesse's cause of death still has yet to be revealed, TMZ reported he suffered what those on the scene claimed to have been a heart attack.
Plenty of others close to Jesse also flooded social media with tributes, including the show's lead, Dave Turin. "Jesse is a man that I loved and respected," he penned via Facebook. "I was the first to find him after his heart attack and worked hard to bring him back to our world. God had another plan, and some day I will see him again in Heaven." Nathan Clark also took to Instagram, writing, "I'm truly lost for words right now. Jesse Goins was the kindest soul you could ever have met."
Jesse Goins continues to make a mark on his 'Gold Rush' cast members
The legacy of "Gold Rush: Dave Turin's Lost Mine" may never be the same following Jesse Goins' tragic death, but the stars of the Discovery series are honoring the late cast member in all their mining efforts going forward. Less than one year after Jesse died from a suspected heart attack, the network premiered Season 3 of "Gold Rush: Dave Turin's Lost Mine" in March. With their "beloved" friend in mind, "Team Turin [made] it their mission to dedicate the rest of their mining season to Jesse and give his share of the gold to his family," per Discovery.
Nathan Clark, another star of the hit spinoff, has also shared plenty of tributes on social media for Jesse, including one to commemorate what would have been the TV star's 61st birthday in February. "Happy Birthday buddy! Sure is not the same without you," Nathan penned alongside a photo of Jesse "sporting" his son's favorite football team during a past visit to Knoxville, Tennessee. "One heck of a man!" It is evident Jesse left an undeniable mark on the mining community.