'Gold Rush' Star Grandpa John Schnabel Dead At 96

R.I.P.
Discovery/YouTube

"Gold Rush" star John Schnabel died peacefully in his sleep on Friday. He was 96.

Schnabel lived a full and colorful life. He grew up during the Great Depression, joined the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, went on to own Porcupine Mill in Haines, Alaska, and was later elected mayor of Haines. He underwent a triple bypass at the age of 68 and, in order to keep active, bought Big Nugget mine, which was later featured on "Gold Rush."

Following the news, the show tweeted out a touching video in his memory:

In addition to the triple bypass, Schnabel's gone through several other health scares and even dealt with cancer while on the show.

His grandson Parker Schnabel thanked people in a Twitter post for all the support the family has received, saying he was "glad the world got to see an amazing man."

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