Mitchell Guist, star of the hit show "Swamp People", has passed away, aged 48, according to CBS News. Sheriff Mike Waguespack released an official statement moments after the tragedy, saying that Guist was pronounced dead at a hospital. He had fallen while aboard his boat on the Intracoastal Waterway, near Pierre Part in Louisiana.

Early reports from police in the Louisiana town agree that the reality star was travelling in his boat around 9 a.m. CDT when he fell for unknown reasons. Travellers who came across the same stretch of water were able to jump to the rescue, returning Guist to his boat before taking it to a nearby landing in St. Martin after which Guist was taken immediately to a nearby hospital. The cause of his fall and the official cause of death are still yet to be elaborated on.

The History Channel, which produces the reality show along with Original Media, said Guist would have turned 49 on Friday (18th May). The network have recently released a statement in honor of the deceased, asking for fans to respect his grieving family, saying, "We are extremely saddened to report that our friend and beloved member of the Swamp People family, Mitchell Guist, has passed away. ... Mitchell passed on the swamp, doing what he loved. We appreciate your respect for the Guist family's privacy and hope you join us in sending our thoughts and prayers to his brother, Glenn, and the rest of the Guist family".