The cause of death for Wipeout contestant Michael Paredes has been released.
Paredes, 38, competed on the TBS series—which is a yet-to-launch reboot of ABC’s original game show, which ran from 2008 to 2014—last November. He died 24 hours after being taken to the hospital following his attempt at the show’s difficult obstacle course.
The autopsy report from the L.A. County’s coroner’s office, made available to E! News, stated that Paredes died of natural causes. He suffered a blockage in his coronary arteries, as well as an acute case of pneumonia. No drugs or alcohol were found in his body.
Paredes fell into the water during his Wipeout challenge. He was pulled out of the pool by staff after he was unable to lift himself out. He was placed in a wheelchair, where he went under cardiopulmonary arrest before being resuscitated and taken to the hospital.
Paredes’ fiancée, who also participated on the show, told NBC News that the contestant exercised for two hours per day, five days a week. Both passed a drug screen, an EKG and a COVID-19 test before filming the show.
Wipeout, which is hosted by John Cena, Camille Kostek and Nicole Byer, requires contestants to undergo medical exams prior to participating on the show. E! News was told at the time that the Wipeout production team has numerous medics on hand and a safety producer monitoring the set during filming.
