Discovery Channel Fan Favorite Dead at 68 After Battle With ALS

Duane Ollinger, the oilman and reality television personality known for starring on Discovery Channel’s Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch, has died. He was 68.

TMZ reported on Wednesday, June 3, that his family confirmed Ollinger died the previous day at a hospital in Texas following a battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Ollinger became a fan favorite on Mystery at Blind Frog Ranch when the show premiered in 2021. The series followed Ollinger, his son Chad and a team of investigators as they searched for what they believed could be a hidden treasure of Aztec gold beneath his property in Utah.

“After making a fortune as a high-risk oil contractor, Duane sold his company in Amarillo, Texas and put everything into a wildcat gold mining opportunity in the Uintah Mountains in Utah,” his bio on Discovery’s website read.

The bio added, “Since he started prospecting at Blind Frog Ranch, he’s discovered a system of underground caverns that run underneath the property. He’s since become convinced that a famous lost treasure is hidden inside the caverns, and his singular focus has been finding it.”

When Ollinger became sick in season 6, Josh Feldman — who joined the show in season 3 — took his place.

Ryan Skinner, a paranormal researcher who appeared in The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch, shared his condolences for Ollinger’s passing in a message on X.

“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,” Skinner wrote on Tuesday, June 2. “Whenever we talked he would always say to hell what anyone thinks, go out there and ‘TELL YOUR TRUTH!'”