TV medic kills self after man dies on French show

A DOCTOR who worked for a French reality television show killed himself because he felt his reputation had been dragged through the mud after a contestant died a week ago.

Thierry Costa, 38, took his own life while in Cambodia, leaving a suicide note in which he protested he had been the victim of unfair accusations of failing to prevent the death of Gerald Babin.

Mr Babin, 25, died of a heart attack after filming a tug-of-war for the show, called Koh Lanta and set in the former French colony in south-east Asia. The show’s format like that of the UK programme Survivor.

The show was halted after Mr Babin’s death, but Mr Costa faced criticism in the French media over the amount of time taken to treat the contestant. In his suicide note, published in France yesterday, Mr Costa wrote: “I have the feeling today that all these efforts have been destroyed by untrue articles.

“I would never dare look anyone in the eye again in France without wondering if they were full of distrust for me.

“I am certain that I treated Gerald in a respectable manner, as a patient and not as a contestant.

“In the past few days my name has been tarnished in the media.

“In the 20 years since I took up medicine, I have always tried to work hard with respect for my patients, love of medicine and following the Hippocratic oath.”

He asked for his body to be cremated in Cambodia, “without ever going back to France”.

The TF1 TV channel issued a statement regarding Mr Babin’s death: “The whole team from ALP and TF1, plus presenter Denis Brogniart, are devastated and share in the deep sadness of Gerald’s family.

“All their thoughts are with his parents, sister, wife and friends.”

Mr Babin had complained of cramps after jumping from a boat on to the beach for the tug-of-war on the first day of five months of filming on the island Koh Rong.

Dr Costa administered emergency treatment before he and other doctors decided Mr Babin should be taken to hospital in the mainland town of Sihanoukville. But Mr Babin suffered from multiple cardiac arrests during the helicopter journey and hospital doctors were unable to save him. Prosecutors in the Paris suburb of Creteil have now launched an investigation into his death.

The show’s producers, Adventure Line Productions, have confirmed that Dr Costa – who had worked on the production for four seasons – killed himself in a hotel room in Cambodia on Monday. The company added: “This tragic event has to encourage those who accuse and comment without proper judgment to exercise responsibility.”

TF1 chief Nonce Paolini added: “The authors of the anony­mous comments about the circumstances of Gerald Babin’s death and those who spread them will have to face their conscience.”

The companies have halted filming and cancelled the show’s current 16th season – which was attracting more than seven million viewers a week.

In 2009, a contestant of the Bulgarian version of Survivor died of a heart attack while filming in the Philippines.

Survivor was created for British TV and has since become a global franchise. It involves contestants being “marooned” on a tropical island, then being voted off until only one person is left. This lone survivor wins a cash prize.