Survivors return; MC event in memory of late contestant

Local people will have another chance to meet the survivors.
The second annual Surviving the Swamp for Mel event is scheduled for April 5 at Lake End Park’s Beach Pavilion, offering the chance to learn some survival skills from participants in the Discovery Channel’s “Naked and Afraid” show.
Surviving the Swamp is dedicated to the memory of a one-time “Naked and Afraid” contestant, a Navy veteran who struggled against post-traumatic stress disorder before she lost her life in 2023, said local organizer Greg Quick.
The contestant, Melanie Rauscher, was part of a “Naked and Afraid” episode filmed in fall 2016 on Morgan Island near Morgan City.
“Afraid” is a matter of opinion, but the “naked” part is certain. Contestants were dropped on the island, told to strip and sent out to live off the land with little but an extra battery for the microphone needed for filming.
The idea was to survive for 21 days.
Rauscher was partnered with Jeremy McCaa of Monroe, who was making a redemption attempt after failing to last the survival period for an episode in the Philippines. His partner spent days in a hospital to be re-hydrated.
In Louisiana, McCaa ended up spending 25 days on Morgan Island after his first partner was unable to continue, Quick said.
Media accounts quote McCaa as saying the snakes on the island were edible, but could have used some seasoning. He told one newspaper that he needed a two-hour shower after returning from the island.
The Surviving the Swamp for Mel event offers the chance to meet with “Naked and Afraid” contestants — who will be reasonably clothed — to learn skills including constructing a shelter, making a fire, and building fish and bird traps.
Sixteen survivalists have agreed to appear so far, Quick said.
The event will be 1-5 p.m. April 5. Admission is $10, but veterans with ID and children under 4 will be admitted free. The admission fee includes a bag, which can also be purchased for $5. T-shirts will be on sale for $20.
This year’s proceeds will go to Veterans of Foreign Wars Patterson Memorial Post and Auxiliary 12182, Quick said.