Wipeout has seen some of the bravest actions from the contestants. What are the most dangerous injuries on Wipeout?
Wipeout is the kind of series which sees the contestant take enormous risks to win the grand cash prize. However, several injuries on Wipeout have occurred and here are some of the most dangerous ones.
Wipeout is an American television game show. It features contestants competing in (what was billed as) the “World’s Largest” obstacle course which originally aired on ABC from June 24, 2008, to September 7, 2014.
In 2021 the TBS show was rebooted with John Cena, Nicole Byer and Camille Kostek as hosts who get to watch from afar. This show is not for the faint-hearted and with devices trying to knock them off the game gets tough.
Injuries on Wipeout seem fairly common due to the nature of the game and let us find out if anyone has been seriously injured ever on the show.
The format for Wipeout essentially boils down to “last one standing.” Multiple contestants take part in a series of four obstacle courses, eliminating players between each course along the way. The player who makes it to the end of each course goes home with a $50,000 grand prize.
Yes, there have been several injuries on Wipeout. In 2009 when the Wipeout series was airing on ABC, a contestant died after suffering a stroke. Reports suggest that the contestant had been injured while performing a stunt.
The name of the contestant was Tom Sparks 33, who was reportedly rushed to hospital from the set before doctors found there was brain damage. He died on November 5, 2009.
The death of Tom Sparks occurred in Season 2 of the original Wipeout, but the show persisted long after the incident and well into 2014.
There has been a saying that, Wipeout has seen “many terrible injuries and cardiac incidents”. There is a Reddit thread which discusses injuries that the Wipeout participants have had.
This is what one person wrote:
“I know a guy who was on, he hit the water so hard that he couldn’t stop throwing up afterwards. They lost in the final.”’
Another contestant wrote:
“No big injuries except my pride, but even if you don’t get hit with anything big, you’ll be exhausted afterwards. It’s all pretty safe, barring a freak accident. But that’s what waivers are for”.
Another of the major injuries on Wipeout leading to the death was that of Michael Paredes. The 38-year-old died of natural causes while filming Wipeout which took place for the TBS series in the fall of 2020.
The report by NBS states he lost consciousness after falling from the show’s obstacle course on November 18 and died a day later.
He had completed two obstacles but fell on the third one. The contestant then struggled to swim to the side of the pool and was pulled out.
One report suggests that Michael died of a heart attack and he suffered from undetected coronary artery disease.
Those who take part in the obstacle course can only do so after undergoing a medical exam to examine their health. There are also on-site emergency personnel near the course while filming is taking place.
Contestants are also thought to sign waivers in case of any injuries, which keeps the show safe from any liabilities they might have. However, there are several such fun shows for people to participate in. Several injuries on Wipeout might have taken place but that hasn’t harmed the show’s popularity.
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