Alaskan Reality TV Star Injured While Cleaning up Storm Damage

Jessie Holmes, who stars in National Geographic’s reality series Life Below Zero, was injured last week when he was cleaning up damage from the historic storm that hit Alaska last month. The 39-year-old veteran Iditarod musher was among a group of fellow mushers who traveled to Golovin. The small community was devastated by the remnants of Typhoon Merbok, which hit Western Alaska on Sept. 16.

Holmes asked fellow mushers Brent Sass, Jeff Deeter, and Richie Beattie if they wanted to help Golovin, Sass told The Anchorage Daily News. They all agreed to go to the village, and arrived there on Sept. 27. A damage assessment found that about 22 of the 64 homes in Golovin were badly damaged by the storm and some are not salvageable. Others were left inhabitable and contaminated by floods.

The mushers were staying at a shop in the village to help out. On Sept. 28, they pulled water-logged plywood and insulation from floors, Sass said. When he and Holmes were working on their third building of the day, an entire area collapsed on top of both of them. Homes was “smashed” by the plywood, insulation, and plastic Tyvek material.

“It was pretty frantic,” Sass recalled. “I was pinned a little bit with my leg and I was able to get out, but I realized that Jessie was underneath it.” Sass and Beattie pulled Holmes out of the debris several minutes later. Sass called it the “longest three minutes” of his life.

Thankfully, a doctor was already in town and could immediately treat Holmes. He was taken to Nome for more doctors to evaluate him. They decided to send him to Anchorage for additional care. Sass said he and his other friends spoke with Holmes over the phone on Sept. 28 and he was in good spirits.

A GoFundMe page was established to help Holmes, and has raised almost $40,000 so far. According to the page, Holmes does not have health insurance, and his friends are trying to raise $250,000 for his medical expenses. He suffered a broken wrist, broken ribs, internal injuries, and an injured arm. Providence Alaska Medical Center spokesperson Mikal Canfield told the Associated Press that Holmes was released from the hospital on Sept. 30.

Holmes thanked his family, friends, and fans on his kennel’s Facebook page on Sept. 29. “I wanted to take a moment to let everyone know how much I appreciate all the love, support, and prayers.I’m blessed to be surrounded by such great people and lucky to still be here,” Holmes wrote. “My main goal now is to focus on my recovery and get back to my kennel. My heart remains with the people in Western Alaska and hope people will continue to remember and support these villages as winter fast approaches.”

Holmes is featured on the National Geographic series Life Below Zero, which launched in May 2013. Holmes joined the show in 2015. The series focuses on life in the most remote parts of Alaska. The show has won multiple Emmys for Outstanding Cinematography for a Reality Program, most recently this year. The show and its two spinoffs, Life Below Zero: Next Generation and Life Below Zero: Northern Territories, are available to stream on Disney+.