‘Ax Men’ star Gabe Rygaard dead at 45 after car accident

There is some terrible news coming out today from the world of “Ax Men“: One of the series’ stars has left us at a far-too-young age.

Sources confirm that Gabe Rygaard, who has appeared on the show for the majority of its run on History (including its recent ninth season), was killed as a result of a car accident in Washington. One of the last tweets that he posted on social media was one where he discussed the show’s long-term future on the network. However, his claims were never officially confirmed in terms of the future of the series.

What makes this death so sad for those who did not know Gabe is that they may have felt in some way as though they did. After all, one of the appeals of the entire reality-TV genre is how, for the most part, there is a massive amount of relatability that comes through with it. These are people who you mostly see just being themselves, and while they may be reasonably famous, they are not so much so that they will start to act substantially different when the cameras are away. Viewers either have something in common with them, or at least know someone who does.

We hope that his former co-stars do get a chance to honor him in some way, and the same goes for some other people in the industry. This is a tight-knit crew, and many of them have had a chance to work and be around each other for a long period of time.

Our thoughts and condolences go out to the Rygaard family and friends during what has to be an incredibly difficult time. If there is some further news to share on the subject over the course of the next several weeks, rest assured that we will have it for you here. (Photo: History.)