What Happened to Tom Oar? Did He Really Pass Away?

Tom Oar did not die, he only had a heart condition that is being corrected with medication. Tom is an American reality star, and expert hunter best known for appearing on Mountain Men.

Tom joined the cast of the reality TV show in 2012 and has been appearing alongside his wife Nancy for all of its 11 seasons. The two are not permanent residents of Yaak River Valley of Northwestern Montana. They have a home in Florida where they retire to after every season of Mountain Men.

Who is Tom Oar

Tom Oar is a former cowboy, hunter, and trapper best known for appearing as a cast member of the TV show, Mountain Men.

Born in 1943, Tom’s current age is 80. His birth occurred in Rockford, Illinois where he also spent a better part of his growing-up years. Obviously a citizen of America, the professional trapper is Caucasian by ethnicity.

He is the son of Chike Oar who was known for his performance on the set of the US Wild West shows. Tom’s love for the wild stemmed from his dad who exposed him to wild life at an early stage. As an expert rider, the reality star showcased his stellar prowess at local rodeo shows during his younger years.

Tom’s mother is not known but he grew up alongside a brother who goes by the name, Jack. Nothing has been said about his academic history.

What happened to Tom from ‘Mountain Men’?

As earlier mentioned, Tom Oar’s absence during the last batch of season nine’s episodes made fans concerned about the state of his health.

Soon, rumors started making the rounds that the octogenarian’s health was failing, and he was seriously considering quitting Mountain Men and moving to a warmer climate in Florida.

In the long run, it became glaring that Tom and Nancy were not yet ready to leave the Yaak River Valley despite the harsh winter they face every season. The oldies went on to complete season 10 and also joined the cast in the latest season 11. During the premiere of the 11th season, the veteran trapper was seen with his wife, Nancy as they prepared for the winter ahead.

In the second episode of season 11, Tom Oar was spotted collaborating with his co-cast, Sean McAfee as they set his winter trap line. In this episode, the hunting duo faced miles and miles of grueling terrain as the highly challenging journey put their endurance as expert trappers to the test.

Tom Oar is our #MCM because he's a wild man to the core. #MountainMen

— Mountain Men (@MountainMen) April 13, 2015

at the end of the season, Tom and his wife Nancy did excellently well and their participation in this latest outing shows that the romantic duo may not be considering quitting any time soon. Obviously, they still have an abundance of resilience and determination to survive life in the Yaak River Valley despite the difficulties presented by the remote and demanding environment.

Tom Oar Obituary: Did He Pass Away?

Tom Oar did not pass away, the Mountain Men cast member is still hale and hearty despite rumors about his failing health which turned out to be false.

However, the speculations did not just drop out of the blue, it was triggered by what fans observed during the 4th episode of season 11.

As the episode was unfolding, Tom Oar suddenly woke up in the middle of the night displaying symptoms of someone having difficulty breathing.

His wife, Nancy immediately swung into action and took the veteran trapper out of his Yaak River Valley property to the Libby, Montana-based health facility where he got a medical check-up. After he was examined, the cardiologists revealed that Tom’s heart was no longer functioning at optimum. They also discovered he had some fluid settling in his lungs. At the end of the day, Tom was put on medication to aid in strengthening his heart. He also started wearing “a heart rate monitor” to enable the physicians to keep track of his condition.

Also, because of the location of their cabin which is said to be about 80 miles away from the nearest hospital, Tom had to wear a defibrillator vest; this was to guard against in an emergency.

With that said, it is glaring that the mountain man is still strong as his medical condition has been taken care of. If his medication works as expected, Tom may not need any surgery. It seems all he needed was the right medication to stabilize his heart and nothing more.

Where is Tom Oar Now?

Since the conclusion of season 11, fans of Mountain Men have been inquiring about the whereabouts of Tom Oar mainly because of the health scare he had on set.

However, it is common knowledge that Tom and Nancy are not permanent residents of Yaak River Valley. At the end of each season, the oldies would return to warmer climates in Florida where they have a home with their family.

Thus anytime he decides to quit the show, the reality star would be living in the Sunshine State. However, Tom has expressed concern about the kind of attention they attract whenever they return to Florida. According to the trapper, many fans of the reality show visited them at home and some even came to shake hands with him and Nancy.

What Is Tom Oar’s Role in Mountain Men

When the Mountain Men reality TV show premiered in 2012, Tom Oar was among its original cast members. He started appearing alongside other veterans like Eustace Conway, Jason Hawk, Rich Lewis, Kyle Bell, George Michaud, Charlie Tucker, and Marty Meierotto.

The first episode of season one, introduced Tom alongside his wife, Nancy Oar as they strive to survive under harsh weather living on a massive spread of remote property located in Yaak River Valley of Northwestern Montana.

The survivalist and skilled hunter has been appearing in subsequent seasons of Mountain Men living far away from any semblance of modern luxury and technology as he faces the freezing winter season in Montana. Tom Oar’s warm mannerisms, his love for wilderness life, and his determination to succeed against all odds are what endeared him to the viewing audience.

During the show’s season nine finale dubbed, ‘The Big Reckoning,’ Tom was seen testing out a handmade canoe.

During episode 10 of season nine, the talented trapper marked his 77th birthday and for this reason, the episode was dubbed, ‘Tom’s Big Day.’ In his birthday speech, the octogenerian said he isn’t ready to quit the show even though he is advancing in age. However, his absence in the season 10 Meltdown series of episodes and last batch of season nine sparked a lot of speculations that he may have already left the show but this is far from the truth.

FAQs

What has happened to Tom Oar?

Tom Oar had issues with his breathing during the 4th episode of season 11 and the Cardiologists discovered that his heart was no longer functioning at optimum.