2. Michael falling into the fire (Australian Outback, Season 2)
The first truly scary moment in Survivor history was when Michael Skupin fell into the fire on Day 17 and was medically evacuated from the game. He was the first player ever to be medically evacuated and watching the situation unfold on television was terrifying.
What happened was that Michael was tending to the fire and inhaled some smoke, causing him to pass out into the fire. His hands were severely burned and it was obvious that he was in a great deal of pain. We all remember the scream Michael let out when he came to and the image of him running to the water with tribe member Nick Brown saying “He’s burnt pretty bad, guys” in a monotone manner.
Medical arrived shortly after and Michael was airlifted out of Camp Kucha and removed from the game. Michael healed up and even came back to play in Philippines (where Russell Swan joined him as a fellow returnee). The moment Michael fell into the fire still goes down as one of the most terrifying moments on Survivor.