Mitchell James Guist (May 18, 1964 – May 14, 2012), was an alligator hunter and

reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...

star who starred in the television show ''

Swamp People ''Swamp People'' is an American reality television series, reality series that was first broadcast on History (American TV channel), History on August 22, 2010. The show follows the day-to-day activities of alligator hunters living in the swamps ...

'' until his death on May 14, 2012, from natural causes.

Early life

Mitchell Guist was born in 1964 in Gonzales, Louisiana, and lived with his brother, Glenn, for his entire life. Mitchell spent most of his early life with his parents until he was 18 and moved into his own home in the

bayou In usage in the Southern United States, a bayou () is a body of water typically found in a flat, low-lying area. It may refer to an extremely slow-moving stream, river (often with a poorly defined shoreline), marshy lake, wetland, or creek. They ...

with Glenn.

TV career

In 2011, Mitchell and Glenn became stars on the History Channel's reality show, ''Swamp People''. They became instant stars on the History Channel and had a fan club. On ''Swamp People'' they would regularly be featured hunting for their dinner which included

alligator gar The alligator gar (''Atractosteus spatula'') is a ray-finned euryhaline fish related to the bowfin in the infraclass Holostei . It is the largest species in the gar family, and among the largest freshwater fish in North America. The fossil reco ...

, blue catfish,

crayfish Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans belonging to the clade Astacidea, which also contains lobsters. In some locations, they are also known as crawfish, craydids, crawdaddies, crawdads, freshwater lobsters, mountain lobsters, rock lobsters, mu ...

cottontail rabbit Cottontail rabbits are the leporid species in the genus ''Sylvilagus'', found in the Americas. Most ''Sylvilagus'' species have stub tails with white undersides that show when they retreat, giving them their characteristic name. However, this ...

squirrel Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae, a family that includes small or medium-size rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrels. Squ ...

, bullfrog,

alligator snapping turtle The alligator snapping turtle (''Macrochelys temminckii'') is a large species of turtle in the family Chelydridae. The species is native to freshwater habitats in the United States. ''M. temminckii'' is one of the heaviest freshwater turtles in ...

, and once by accident an American alligator. Mitchell and Glenn were both featured in a ''Swamp People'' special where they hunted cottontail rabbits, later trading them for snapping turtles. Mitchell and Glenn were also featured in the 2012 third season of ''Swamp People''.

Death

On May 14, 2012, Mitchell Guist suffered an accident on the Belle River near Pierre Part. According to authorities he slipped and fell while loading items onto his boat. It was initially reported that he suffered a seizure, but it is unclear whether the seizure was a result of the fall or if it was caused by a medical condition. It was later revealed that Guist suffered a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

. Guist was pronounced dead at a Morgan City hospital; the coroner for Ascension Parish later determined that his death was due to natural causes.Associated Press, via nola.com: "'Swamp People' star Mitchell Guist died of natural causes, coroner says", May 17, 2012.
/ref> He died 4 days before his 48th birthday. He was buried at Lusk Cemetery in Gonzales, Louisiana. The "Voodoo Bayou" episode of ''Swamp People'', originally aired on May 17, 2012, was dedicated in Guist's memory.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Guist, Mitchell 1964 births 2012 deaths People from Gonzales, Louisiana American television personalities