On July 11, 2023, Dakota Fred Hurt, an American gold miner and the star of the Discovery reality series Gold Rush, fell dead from brain cancer. Dakota Fred Hurt was born in Minot, North Dakota, on July 10, 1943.
2008 saw Fred Hurt working in Nevada, Wyoming, and Montana before moving on to Little Squaw Lake in Alaska to build his gold processing facility. More than 600 ounces of gold were taken out of the area by Hurt and his crew. Additionally, he is alleged to have mined Porcupine Creek for gold worth over $750,000.
In 61 episodes of the reality series Gold Rush on the Discovery Channel, Fred Hurt made an appearance. He subsequently appeared in a number of Gold Rush spin-offs, including South America.
Who was Dakota Fred Hurt? Gold Rush star dies aged 80
“Dakota” Fred Hurt, the seasoned prospector who rose to fame on Discovery’s reality TV series Gold Rush and went on to appear on several spin-offs, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 80. A self-taught gold miner, Hurt earned the moniker “Dakota Fred” because of his North Dakota roots. He was well-known for the vigor he brought to Gold Rush and his propensity to speak his mind.