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by Amanda Croker
Jul 17, 2002
A family tragedy has brought the latest local "Survivor" reality series contestant home early.
Kingsport's Tanya Vance's father was killed in a car crash Monday. The producers of "Survivor" were notified earlier this week, and Tanya was flown home immediately. CBS representatives say family members were flown to meet Tanya at a connecting location. There is a phone tree network in place where contestants can be reached if there is an emergency.
No word on how this will affect the taping of the show. Officials believe Thomas Vance may have suffered a heart attack before the crash.