Bonnie Bolden

bbolden@thenewsstar.com

Jeremy McCaa, of Monroe, Louisiana, set a "Naked and Afraid" record in the Atchafalaya Basin by staying in the swamps for 25 days, longer than any other competitor on the show.

He said it feels "amazing" to have set the record. He's just waiting on the call to compete in "Naked and Afraid XL," a spin-off where six men and six women try to brave the wilderness in the buff for 40 days.

Jeremy spent part of September and October in the Atchafalaya Basin while filming for the Discovery Channel with two partners — Michelle Etchings and Melanie Rauscher. It was a redemption shot for Jeremy. His time in the swamp was split into two episodes, which premiered April 30 and May 7.

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In February and March 2015, Jeremy and his partner, Cassidy Flynn, were dropped in the Philippines. He described the location as paradise. The beaches were beautiful and the weather mild, but they couldn't find potable water. They lasted 13 days before tapping out. Cassidy was hospitalized for five days because of dehydration.

Jeremy's first partner in Louisiana, Michelle, tapped out after three days. She developed West Nile during her time in the swamps.

In a Naked and Afraid fan group on Facebook on Sunday, Michelle said, "I am doing much better now. It was a rough few months after I got home, and when I found out I was pregnant in December it was very nerve wracking because I still had the virus and my chances of having a miscarriage were pretty high. Me and baby made it through, and we are now 23 weeks along. I'm having a baby girl, and my husband and I are very excited to welcome our first child in September!"

Michelle said she's proud of Jeremy and Melanie's success.

Melanie joined Jeremy when he was several days into his 21-day stint. He said he'd spent nights alone in the swamps with creepy noises all around and didn't want to leave her alone for several nights after his time was complete. He said they were able to kill snakes, crawfish and frogs for food, among other things. Melanie is from Philadelphia. Jeremy said it was her first time eating some of their catches.

Donna Camp was among those gathered at AMVETS Post 66 on Armand Street in Monroe for a watch party Sunday night. She said Jeremy is down to earth and a good family man. She was there with her family to root for him and said the whole experience was exiting.

Jeremy answered questions and showed pictures of the strange thing that he and Melanie filmed in the woods at night. On the show, Melanie's camera quit working when she tried to film something that was making noisenear the camp. Jeremy said he'd seen something that seemed supernatural while he was alone at night and wasn't going to mention it until someone else did. It appeared similar to a person with no legs walking near the camp, and he thinks there's a face on a photo of the episode he snapped. He cited legends of Jean Lafitte's treasure being buried in the area but said they never got a definitive answer of what caused the sounds and what they caught on camera.

The show gives survivalists a 0-10 Primitive Survival Rating based on the skills they bring to the show. Before filming in the Philippines, Jeremy had a 7.3 expert ranking that dropped to a 6.1. His South Louisiana success boosted his PSR to 8.2.

For a few days after he came home, he said, he was still adjusting. He had to drink water at first because downing Coca-Cola felt like drinking acid. He went to the ER because of pain in his right arm and neck, which went away after a few days.

The weight loss — 32 pounds — made him feel great, but he's trying to put on another 10 pounds. He said he wants to be ready for the "XL" call.

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