Duane Olinger, who starred in the Discovery Channel series “Mystery at the Blind Frog Ranch,” has died. He was 68 years old.
The reality TV star died Tuesday at a Texas hospital after a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), family sources told TMZ.
The Texas oilman was a fan favorite on the show where Duane and his son Chad search for a legendary cache of lost Aztec gold.
Both father and son believed the treasure was hidden beneath a large property in Utah.
According to his Discovery Channel biography, Duane made his fortune as a high-risk oil contractor, but used that money to dedicate his life to gold mining opportunities in the Uinta Mountains.
Convinced that the treasure was in his Blind Frog Farm, he rebelled against the locals, who declared it cursed.
When the show premiered in 2021, Duane led a charge team that uncovered a treasure he had spent years chasing.
However, Josh Feldman, who had joined the cast in season 3, became ill, so he replaced Duane in season 6.
Many longtime fans of the show have taken to social media to express their sadness following Duane’s death. Duane’s castmate Ryan Skinner paid tribute to the late actor on Tuesday.
“I’m sad to report that my good friend Duane Orringer from ‘Blind Frog Ranch’ passed away earlier today. Duane was always positive, empathetic and encouraging to everyone,” he wrote via X.
“Every time we spoke, he would flat out say what someone was thinking. He would go out and say, ‘Speak the truth!’
As for Chad, he left Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch last year following a series of legal issues.
In December 2025, he was charged with murdering his cellmate after guards at Nevada’s Clark County Detention Center discovered his motionless body.
Chad was eventually declared legally incompetent in January and ordered to undergo treatment at a mental health facility, according to Courthouse News Service.
Season 6 of “Mystery at Blind Frog Farm” premiered last week and follows Feldman and his father taking over the hunt.
New episodes air Wednesdays at 10pm ET on Discovery Channel.
