Sarah Danser, a 34-year-old reality show survivalist, diver and boat captain from Castle Rock, Colo., died Tuesday after being involved in a car crash Sunday night on Diamond Head Road.

At approximately 8:22 p.m. Sunday, a motor vehicle collision involving two vehicles occurred on Diamond Head Road, east of Poka Street, in the Kahala area.

Dan Danser, Sarah’s father, explained that the vehicle she was in, borrowed from a “very, very close friend,” was being driven by a 59-year-old man identified by her family as a mutual good friend, who was traveling eastbound on Diamond Head Road.

The 59-year-old driver was in serious condition, and Danser was transported in critical condition to a hospital.

Dan Danser said he received the news about his daughter’s hospitalization while he was home in Castle Rock, Colo.

He arrived on Oahu at 5 a.m. Tuesday with Sarah’s older brother, Jake Danser, but she was pronounced dead at 2:47 p.m. that afternoon.

As an organ donor, her family shared that doctors began transplanting Sarah Dan­ser’s organs to other patients Thursday.

She was described as someone who “was always oriented towards helping others.”

“You can actually see that very easily on all these TV shows that she was on — that was just in her nature,” her father said. “A lot of people here have been saying that she was also deeply involved and engaged, encouraging people to step outside their comfort zones, to do things they might not otherwise do — to dance, to float, to swim, to dive. She just wanted people to extend themselves.”

Danser moved to Hawaii 12 years ago with plans to pursue a graduate degree at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, her father said. However, she found her passion in diving, eventually becoming an instructor and interning at the Bishop Museum.

Danser began her diving career at Island Divers Hawaii, later traveling to various destinations to explore, dive and earn her boat captain certification before returning to the island, where she worked for various boat companies.

She also gained national recognition in 2017 after appearing on the Season 8 episode of “Naked and Afraid” titled “Lost at Sea.”

“The TV show was more of a means to an end,” Jake Danser said. “Who she really was was someone who wanted to live life, and she packed a lot of life into her 34 years.”

Sarah Danser had traveled to Paraguay, where she worked as a dental assistant, helping children who didn’t have access to dental care. She also taught at a college in Cameroon.

Jake Danser said she loved traveling, a passion their parents had instilled in them from a young age, encouraging “a sense of wonder and curiosity for the world.”

“You couldn’t hold her back,” he said. “If she wanted to go on an adventure, she’d make it happen.”

Jake Danser described his sister as identifying as a “pirate,” sharing that she even lived on a sailboat in Kewalo Basin for a time.

“She was really passionate about being a boat captain,” he said. “People may have seen Sarah out on her sailboat with friends, dressed in pirate garb, yelling ‘Arrr!’ and shaking plastic swords at nearby boats.”

Sarah Danser was a two-time breast cancer survivor, and her mother had died in an auto accident when she was just 8 years old.

Dan Danser also said, “It became apparent to her brother and me, just in the two days we’ve been here, that she had a real impact on the lives of a lot of people.”

Brady Thomas, owner of Island Divers, recalled working with Sarah Danser when she first started as a diver over a decade ago, describing her as a hard worker dedicated to her job and her passions.

“She was a lot of light; she brought amazing energy to every room she walked into,” Thomas said.

After taking over as the owner, Thomas reached out to her and brought her back to work for him about two months ago.

“I was very excited to have her on board because of the positive energy she brings; she makes it a really fun place to work. Everybody feels like her best friend, and that’s exactly why I wanted her to take on this role,” Thomas said.

Her family plans to spread her ashes in the ocean around Oahu, which she loved, as well as back home in Castle Rock.

Thomas shared that in her memory the company is taking one of its boats out for a dive this afternoon, followed by a sunset cruise with her father and brother.

According to the Honolulu Police Department, the vehicle that Danser was in crossed into the westbound lane and collided with a parked car occupied by a 28-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman. The driver sustained minor injuries and refused further treatment at the scene, while Danser was transported by Emergency Medical Services in serious condition to a hospital.

According to HPD, preliminary findings indicate that the driver was exceeding the posted speed limit at the time of the crash, although alcohol and drugs do not appear to be contributing factors. While Danser was wearing a seat belt, the driver was not. The investigation remains ongoing.

Danser’s death marks the 37th traffic fatality on Oahu of 2024, compared with 44 at the same time in 2023.