If the current PoV dies in anything but a battle, the game is reloaded. That's how it's always been, I think.

I picked up my trusty spear, then we all headed Northward through the gate. Just as we all passed through, the gate began to close! Fooruman desperately kicked his canoe into RAMMING SPEED and rowed beneath the closing gateway. He propped the gate up with his oar and held it in place.
"By the might of FOO!" he exclaimed. "My companions! Go on without me! I must hold this gate in place!"
"That's stupid," said Uberbob as he walked to the archmage's side. "We don't need that gate open! We're moving forward! Forward to... ADVENTURE!"
"He has a point," Shuri added.
"Thank you, Shurikens!" Uberbob said with a smile.
"Not you," Shuri said with disgust. "I was talking about Fooruman. We don't even know what lies ahead. We may need to come back through here."
"So we're just going to leave poor Fooruman here holding up the gate in the freezing cold on the Canadian border for who knows how long?" Araches asked.
"Yeah," Shuri replied. "That's the plan."
"Oh, okay. Good luck, Fooruman. Take care, I guess."
"You needn't worry about me!" the old man confidently belowed. "The FooCanoe will keep me company!"
I waved goodbye to the elderly and recently somewhat-useful wizard. Fooruman was just as much an idiot as Uberbob, but he was a harmless, more loveable idiot. I was almost sad to leave him behind, but surely we would remember to come back for him when we found a way out of here. Probably, at least.