"Swamp People" star Mitchell Guist was testing out a new houseboat he was building at the time of his death ... a dream project he had worked on for months ... and now one of his co-stars has vowed to finish the job as a last tribute to the fallen reality star.

The man behind the promise is Glenn Guist -- Mitchell's bearded brother and best friend -- who is often featured hunting critters with Mitchell on "Swamp People."

Glenn's manager tells TMZ ... he's pretty broken up about the sudden unexpected death of his brother ... but he's doing better then they all expected, considering how close they were.

We're told Glenn knew how passionate Mitchell was about the houseboat project ... and believes completing the project will be the best way to honor his brother's memory.

As we previously reported, Mitchell passed away Monday after apparently suffering a seizure while on the bayou in Louisiana.

A funeral service is set for this week at a local church -- and Glenn's rep say he will begin work on the boat "after everything is taken care of with Mitchell."

10:19 AM PDT -- Law enforcement sources tell us ... Mitchell was out in his boat along the Belle River ... when he "fell." Witnesses say he appeared to have been suffering from a seizure.

We're told another person on the boat returned the vessel to the dock and called 911. Emergency personnel responded to the scene and transported Mitchell to a nearby hospital ... but it was too late.

12:15 PM PDT -- A rep for the History Channel tells us, "We are extremely saddened to report that our friend and beloved member of the Swamp People family, Mitchell Guist, has passed away earlier today. Mitchell passed on the swamp, doing what he love."

4:11 PM PDT -- The 911 call, placed moments after Mitchell Guist fell, was just released to a local news station. According to the caller, Mitchell had a seizure then went into cardiac arrest.



Mitchell Guist -- one of the bearded alligator-hunting brothers featured on the reality show "Swamp People" -- has died.

According to WBRZ.com, Mitchell was discovered at 9 AM in St. Martin Parish, Louisiana.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... someone tried to perform CPR on Guist ... but attempts to resuscitate the reality star were unsuccessful.


Sources close to Mitchell tell us ... Guist had recently fallen ill ... but the nature of his illness is still unclear.

Story developing ...

For the millionth time, "Swamp People" star Joe LaFont's life was spared by a boat -- except this time ... it wasn't in gator-infested marshlands ... it was on an Arkansas highway.

As we previously reported, LaFont and his gator-hunting stepson Tommy Chauvin were nearly killed on Monday in a nasty 5-car pile-up near the Arkansas-Louisiana state border -- when a tractor-trailer (below) rammed the truck behind him.

According to LaFont, the truck behind him was towing a boat -- and that's the reason he's still alive.

LaFont tells us, when the tractor-trailer hit the boat, it turned the truck sideways -- and the truck T-boned Joe rather than barreling straight through him.

Joe tells us, "If it wasn't for the boat, I would have been killed ... It was like a bomb went off."

According to Joe, his F-150 and its attached cargo trailer were totaled in the wreck.

Joe didn't suffer any serious injuries -- but he says his neck and shoulders have been bothering him since the crash ... so he's visiting a doctor later today.

Joe says he does not plan to sue.

"Swamp People" gator hunters Tommy Chauvin and his stepfather Joe LaFont are lucky to be alive -- after the pair was involved in a NASTY 5-car pile-up yesterday near the Arkansas-Louisiana state line.

Tommy and Joe were not hurt -- but according to reports, three other people involved in the accident suffered serious injuries. There were no fatalities.

According to reports, four vehicles -- including Chauvin and LaFont's -- had come to a stop for a flagman directing traffic around a construction site on the highway.

Everything was hunky dory -- until a fifth vehicle (a giant tractor-trailer) came careening along and smashed into the back of another truck waiting in line.

The accident caused a massive pile-up -- but the biggest casualty ... a bunch of "Swamp People" merch that spilled out of Tommy and Joe's truck ... and scattered across the highway.

"Swamp People" troublemaker Nicholas Payne allegedly battered a FEMALE cop on the night he was arrested ... and then tried to escape into the woods ... this according to Louisiana police.

TMZ has learned ... the 26-year old gator huntin' apprentice was arrested last month for allegedly striking a female police officer in the chest ... while she was trying to write him a citation for disturbing the peace at a private home.

Law enforcement officials tell us Payne tried to run off into the woods after the attack ... so a K-9 unit was dispatched to find him.

We're told one of the dogs located Payne ... and bit the guy so hard, the reality star had to be taken to a nearby hospital so doctors could treat the wound.

Cops say Payne's injury has since healed up.

Payne is still behind bars -- because he has not paid his $10,000 bail.

One of the gator hunters on the History Channel reality show "Swamp People" is rotting away in a Louisiana jail cell ... after cops say he attacked a police officer last month.

TMZ has learned Nicholas Payne -- who served as apprentice to overall-wearing, American flag bandana sporting bad ass Bruce Mitchell -- was arrested on Sept. 23.

According to the police report, cops in St. Tammany Parish, Looooosiana got a call about a "disturbance" at a private home ... and when they got to the scene, Payne committed a battery on one of the responding officers with his "hands/fist/feet."

26-year-old Payne was arrested for disturbing the peace, resisting arrest and felony battery of a police officer. Payne's bail was set at $10,000 -- but he hasn't forked over the cash yet ... so he's still locked up.

A rep for History tells us, "Nicholas has not been part of the show since filming concluded last season ... and we have no additional comment."

Payne is due in court next month.

The loveable gator hunting dog from "Swamp People" is back in action after a heart scare.

Tyler was rushed to a vet back in January after a heart scare.  The dog is a fixture on the boat during gator hunts, but he was sidelined after his medical emergency. 

The good news -- Tyler is back in action.

The bad news -- gator season sucks, because of Tropical Storm Lee, which is wreaking havoc in Louisiana because it heats up and lowers water levels, making it hard for gators to swim and for hunters to catch them.

It ain't your mama's Southern cookin' -- "Swamp Star" Troy Landry tells TMZ, he's working on his own little COOKBOOK featuring real backwoods bayou faves ... and it includes rodent stew!!!!!



According to Landry -- the guy who basically cooks everything on the show -- SEVERAL publishers have already approached him about a book deal since "SP" premiered last year ... but he's still weighing his options.

Landry tells us, he's currently compiling a master list of all his recipes -- which includes his most famous dish called "Nutria Sauce Piquante" ... a gumbo made from a semiaquatic rodent called a nutria ... basically an over-sized rat.


 
Troy says he picked up his recipes while working at his father's restaurant as a kid -- but don't worry ... we're told the cookbook still has kinda normal things ... you know, like deep South chicken (okay, still scary).

As for his dad's restaurant -- it shut down a few years back. Sad? Yes. Surprising? No comment.

The most beloved star of the hit reality show "Swamp People" is in danger of missing Season 3 after a serious heart condition almost took his life earlier this year ... TMZ has learned.



It's not Troy ... or Trapper Joe ... or the badass Guist Brothers -- it's Bruce Mitchell's faithful sidekick Tyler ... the lovable gator hunting dog.

TMZ spoke to a rep for Bruce -- the guy who rocks the overalls and the American flag bandana -- who tells us Tyler was having "heart troubles" back in January ... and had to be rushed to the vet for emergency medical care.

We're told things got so bad "the dog almost died."  
 
Luckily for Tyler, doctors were able to treat the illness ... and he's been resting at home and taking heart meds ever since.  
 
The rep tells us Bruce is unsure if Tyler will be able to join him on the boat next season ... saying Bruce is "hopeful...but still not sure."