Atz Lee Kilcher suffered a life-threatening injury in August 2015 while on a hiking trip to the Otter Cove Resort in Homer, Alaska.
The star of Alaska: The Last Frontier was rushed to the hospital with a broken arm, shoulder, ankle, hip, crushed ribs, and two punctured lungs. He spent one year in recovery, resuming his everyday life at the same time as the shooting of Season 8 of the popular reality TV show. So, what has happened to Atz Lee since then?
So, what exactly happened to Atz Lee Kilcher?
As a devoted nature lover, Atz is accustomed to accidents and mishaps of all kinds. Alaska: The Last Frontier chronicles his adventures in Homer, the city fondly referred to by the locals as “the cosmic hamlet by the sea.”
Previous seasons of the show offered a rare glimpse into the idyllic lifestyle Atz and his family gets to enjoy in this faraway piece of land widely renowned for its natural resources and beautiful sights.
From the never-ending fight against predators like black bears or arctic foxes to the mind-blowing experience of spending an entire day snowmobiling through the virgin snow-covered expanse, Alaska: The Last Frontier captures the most-envied and the least-desirable aspects of the day-to-day existence of the well-known family.
As such, the show also portrays some of Atz’s more questionable undertakings. The August 2015 accident might have been the worst predicament the star has ever gotten himself into — but it was far from the only problem he has had to tackle over the years.
In the same month, Atz faced allegations about illegally using a helicopter for a black bear hunt.
In the same month, Atz faced allegations about illegally using a helicopter for a black bear hunt.
As The Daily Mail reveals, the star came under scrutiny for failing to adhere to the standard regulations, using a chopper to fly out to the location of the hunt.
The stint was also shown on Alaska: The Last Frontier. Atz’s wife, Cristina Jane, and the production company, Wilma TV Inc, were also charged with a misdemeanor hunting violation.
The stars were eventually fined $17,500, and the criminal charges were dropped.
However, the incident garnered a great deal of media attention. According to Screen Rant, PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange had also taken a firm stance against the vast misconduct.
In 2017, Atz headed back to court again. This time, he was the plaintiff.
Having spent a year in recovery, he decided to file a legal complaint against the Otter Cove Resort. As he claimed, he wouldn’t have had to endure a harrowing accident if there had been proper signage installed at the hiking location.
As a previous Distractify article reveals, Atz accused the popular trek of having failed to put in place an adequate system protecting the safety of the visitors.
Deeming the lack of signs “deceptive and dangerous,” he claimed that the resort had “failed to adequately warn of and/or provide measures to prevent guest and other individuals … from falling over the precipice at the resort.”
He demanded $100,000 for the damages endured. It’s uncertain whether he won the case or not.
