‘Buckwild’ star is found dead

SISSONVILLE, W.Va. — Shain Gandee lived for the outdoors, often going on muddy, off-road thrill rides in the hills near his West Virginia home. A recent latenight escapade ended in tragedy for the MTV reality show cast member and two others.

The popular “Buckwild” cast member was found dead Monday inside a sport utility vehicle belonging to his family that was found partially submerged in a deep mud pit about a mile from his home near Sissonville, authorities said.

Also inside were the bodies of his uncle, David Gandee, 48, and Donald Robert Myers, 27.

Kanawha County Sheriff’s Cpl. B.D. Humphreys said the red-and-white 1984 Ford Bronco’s muffler was below the surface and that mud covered the passenger side. No foul play is expected.

Authorities said the cause of the deaths was still under i nvestigat ion and refused to specu late on what happened. If the muff l er was submerged a nd t he engine kept running, it’s possible the cabin of the vehicle could have filled with fatal carbon monoxide from the exhaust.

Shain, nicknamed “Gandee Candy” by fans, was a breakout star of the show that followed the antics of a group of young friends enjoying their wild coun- Shain Gandee try lifestyle. It was filmed last year, mostly around Sissonville and Charleston. Many of its rowdy exploits were his idea. In one episode, he turned a dump truck into a swimming pool.

Gandee, 21, was a true outdoorsman, shedding modern conveniences such as cell phones and computers for his proud redneck ways. He loved to hunt, ride all-terrain vehicles and go “mudding,” or offroad driving.

Humphreys said the victims were last seen around 3 a.m. Sunday at a bar, and they told people they were going driving off-road.