What Happened To Preston Roberts From Mountain Men?

Fans of History's "Mountain Men" know that this series follows the rugged nature-loving pioneers who teach the proper skills needed to live in the wilderness. Set in the most majestic wild woodlands of North America, these survival artists and their families provide for viewers, along with guests on the show, the unwritten skills needed to properly live independently off the land, as well as certain survival tactics that have been fading from our society more and more each year. Series regulars like Tom Oar, Jason Hawk, Morgan Beasley, and Marty Meierotto have entertained fans for seasons, pushing the show over 146 episodes and counting on History.

One of the series' featured "Mountain Men" is Eustace Conway, who resides in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Conway, who deals with scavengers, bad weather, and even poachers, has dedicated himself to this area he calls Turtle Island, to prove to viewers that his unorthodox lifestyle is worth the effort and risk. Helping him along the way, by offering knowledge of his own survival skills, Conway had relied on his best friend, Preston Roberts.

However, to the dismay of fans — and Conway himself — the co-founder of the Turtle Island Preserve, Preston Roberts, tragically passed away. For over six seasons, Roberts acted as Conway's right-hand man, and his absence was surely felt when he was missing from the first episodes of season 7. Many fans still wonder what actually happened to Preston Roberts.

For fans familiar with the rugged pioneers featured on "Mountain Men," seeing Eustace Conway without his right-hand man, Preston Roberts, is not only jarring but downright upsetting. The Turtle Island Preserve announced the sudden and unexpected death of the 60-year-old former art teacher on July 24, 2017. Roberts died from a "large inoperable tumor on his liver that obstructed the flow of blood and oxygen to his organs and body," according to the Turtle Island Preserve.

While fans of "Mountain Men" were surely shaken by the passing of Roberts, his best friend Eustace Conway felt the loss as much as anyone. The Turtle Island Preserve wrote, "While the suddenness of his departure is shocking, we draw some consolation from the fact that his last days were full of family and friends instead of drawn-out suffering." In a tribute to Roberts that Conway wrote for The Turtle Island Preserve, he details the missing support and friendship he now experiences without his buddy. "Because Preston was such a giving, supportive person, he helped many thousands of students and friends, always improving their life," Conway wrote.

Roberts, father of three and husband to his wife Kathleen, has been greatly missed by his friends, family, and fans since passing. The Turtle Island Preserve goes on to say, "There is no replacing a human life, and the specialness of Preston as [a] teacher, mentor, builder, friend, artist, elder, inspiration, dancer, leader, and solid rock foundation leaves a chasm in our community." Despite the tragedy, Roberts' caring and helpful legacy carry on with a memorial scholarship created in his honor.