TV star Duane Ollinger has sadly died at the age of 68. The Texas oilman is best known for appearing alongside his son Chad Ollinger in Discovery Channel's, Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch. Duane died on Tuesday after a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a family source told TMZ. He was a fan favorite on the show, which followed Duane and his son Chad on the hunt for a legendary cache of lost Aztec gold. The father and son duo believed the hidden treasure was hidden beneath their sprawling Utah property.
The show first premiered in 2021 with Duane leading the hunt to uncover the gold he spent years chasing. According to his Discovery Channel bio, Duane made a fortune as a high-risk oil contractor but used that money to dedicate his life to the gold-mining opportunity in the Uinta Mountains. Duane was replaced by Josh Feldman for season six after falling ill.
His castmate Ryan Skinner paid tribute to the late star on Tuesday.
“Sad to report that my good friend Duane Ollinger of ‘Blind Frog Ranch’ passed away earlier today. Duane was a force of constant positivity, empathy, & encouragement to everyone,” he wrote via X.
“Whenever we talked he would always say to hell what anyone thinks, go out there and ‘TELL YOUR TRUTH!'”
Tributes have poured in for the reality star as fans took to social media and shared their heartbreak.
One wrote: "Rip Duane loved watching you and Chad."
Another commented: "My goodness noo! Rest in peace dear sir! God bless you sir and your family! You will be missed."
A third added: "RIP dude."
Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch is available to watch in the UK. You can stream the series on Discovery+ or through Sky.
