American producer on hit CBS reality show the Amazing Race 'poisoned to death in Africa by a gang of local thugs' after confrontation

Jeff Rice found dead in his hotel room in Uganda after a suspected poisoning, His female production assistant was found in a coma and remains in hospital he is remembered as 'a dedicated father' and 'a true adventurer.' Father-of-two Jeff Rice and his assistant were apparently poisoned after refusing to give up their belongings to local thugs. A source told the news site that after refusing to give in to the men, Rice and his female assistant 'ended up very sick with poisoning of some kind'. His wife Sally Blackman added that the woman, whom she did not name, remained in critical condition in hospital.

Uganda police are investigating the incident and no further details are available at this time, she added.

Rice and his assistant were part of a team that helped create challenges across Africa for the CBS show, The Amazing Race. They were not working on the show at the time of the suspected poisoning, but they had helped with the current season, which hit screens on Sunday.