The elimination of player Michael Skupin during the sixth episode is well known for being the first case where a "Survivor" player has had to be removed because of an injury. While trying to start a fire, Skupin breathed in smoke and fainted, falling into the fire getting really bad burns to his hands. After being cared for by medical personnel, a helicopter was brought in and Skupin was removed from the game. Because of his removal, there was no Immunity Challenge, so there was no Tribal Council. Because of this, the Ogakor and Kucha tribes merged (combined) with the same number of tribe members, instead of the possible six to four (which would have happened if Ogakor lost the Immunity Challenge and gone to Tribal Council). At the first merged Tribal Council, Jeff Varner was voted off after a tie vote between the two old tribes.