Survivor contestants in tears over game-ending injury

One Survivor contestant’s game-ending injury left their stunned tribemates in tears on Sunday’s episode. WARNING: Spoilers.

WARNING: Spoilers.

Australian Survivor contestant Nina Twine became the second person this season to exit the game due to injury, after fracturing her ankle during a challenge.

Nina, who entered the game with her mother and former two-time US Survivor winner Sandra Diaz-Twine, was shown writhing in pain after she hurt her ankle while travelling down a slide into water.

She was removed from the game for medical attention – and returned the next day on crutches, always a death knell for any contestant hoping to stay in the extremely physical game.

Nina is helped out of the car.

Nina’s tribemates broke down as they realised she couldn’t continue in the competition – particularly friend and ally Shay, who appeared devastated to be losing her.

“The medical team have assessed you and they’ve diagnosed an avulsion fracture,” host Jonathan LaPaglia said. “What it means is that the ligament that’s attached to the bone has come away, and it’s taken a small piece of bone with it.”

“While that injury by itself is not a huge deal, it could become an issue down the road if you don’t get the right treatment – which is kind of impossible out here.”

Tears from Shay (left) and as Nina’s told she must leave the game.

Nina had no choice in the matter – she had to be pulled from the game.

“I can’t decide if this is worse than being blindsided,” a tearful Nina said. “It’s just frustrating that this is how I have to go out.”

Nina’s exit comes just a few days after her mother Sandra was voted out, meaning neither of these international heavyweights made it to merge.

Unsurprisingly for a season that’s shedding contestants due to injury, no one was sent home at Sunday’s tribal council, with a twist meaning KJ was instead sent to the opposing tribe.

Shay (right) comforts an injured Nina.

Meanwhile, Sandra told news.com.au this week that there was one moment this season she absolutely loathed – and no, it wasn’t when her tribemates (including her own daughter) voted her out.

Sandra’s Survivor low point came in the opening minutes of the game, when she and Nina made a fashionably late entrance via helicopter as the Aussie contestants watched on.

“That was horrible – I didn’t choose that, and I would’ve never agreed to it,” Sandra said of the grand entrance.

She revealed that they boarded the chopper assuming they were being flown to another pre-game location – it was only when they rounded a riverbend and they saw a bunch of cheering, screaming contestants that she says she had a “sinking feeling … Oh my god, the game starts now”.

“We get back to camp and the tribe is like ‘Oh, you came in on a helicopter? We were standing out there for a good 30 minutes.’ I’m thinking, lord have mercy, if I wasn’t already a target, now I’ve shown up on a helicopter and they’re calling me Oprah.”

Australian Survivor continues 7:30pm Monday on Ten.