TLDR: Sig Hansen is alive, turned 60 in April 2026 and told People in June that he does not see himself retiring anytime soon. He had a heart attack while filming in 2016. In Deadliest Catch Season 21 he co-captained the Time Bandit with Johnathan Hillstrand, and in Season 22 he ran a scouting mission with an underwater drone.
Sig Hansen is the closest thing Deadliest Catch has to a lead, and fans check on him every season.
He is alive and still captaining the Northwestern. For the show’s losses, see our Deadliest Catch deaths page.
How Old Is Sig Hansen?
Hansen turned 60 in April 2026 and did not throw a big party, according to a June 5 report on his interview with People, carried by ABC News 4. Fox News had put his age at 59 in August 2025.
Is Sig Hansen Retiring?
In that People interview, Hansen said the retirement rumors have no basis and that he does not “see retiring anytime soon.” He admitted that staying on is partly ego, and that he is not ready to give up the captain’s chair.
His tone has shifted over the past year. He told People in 2025 that he thought about retiring because he had lost so many fellow fishermen and felt more fearful each time the crew went out, Fox News reported, and he said then he expected to fish “a few more years.”
He also said he doubts he could ever fully retire, because his mind would stay on the weather and the crew even if someone else ran the boat.
His Health History
Hansen had a heart attack while filming in 2016, per Fox News. The Northwest Signal reported a second, “slight” heart attack in October 2018 after an allergic reaction to an antibiotic.
Rumors have claimed he suffered “multiple heart attacks.” The People interview, as reported by ABC News 4, did not give details beyond the rumors.
The 2010 Walkout
Hansen stepped away from the show for about a month in 2010 over a dispute with Discovery about Season 7, the Northwest Signal noted.
He came back, and he is still at the helm of the Northwestern today.
Season 21 on the Time Bandit
In the Season 21 premiere on August 1, 2025, Hansen teamed up with Captain Johnathan Hillstrand aboard the Time Bandit, per Entertainment Weekly. They went to the waters off Adak Island in the Aleutians to look for a rumored giant red king crab.
He said the trip brought back a lot of good memories of fishing the area with his father.
Season 22 and a Scouting Drone
Discovery set the Season 22 premiere for May 8, 2026, ComingSoon reported. The fleet moved 225 miles to St. George Island to chase a new red king crab population.
In the premiere, Hansen ran a scouting mission with an underwater drone to find the crab first.
The season also paid tribute to deckhand Todd Meadows, who died on February 25 after falling overboard from the Aleutian Lady. We cover it on our Deadliest Catch deaths page.
His Family
Hansen is married to June, and Fox News reported that he has four grandchildren who are shifting his priorities.
His daughter, Captain Mandy Hansen, is in line to take on more responsibility, though family obligations have delayed it, he said. He also praised his son-in-law, Clark Pederson, as capable of taking on more work.
Hansen’s brother Edgar, a longtime Northwestern crew member, stopped appearing on the show in 2018. We explain what happened in our page on Edgar Hansen.
Sig Hansen: Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sig Hansen still alive?
Yes. He turned 60 in April 2026 and gave a People interview in June 2026 about the retirement rumors.
Is Sig Hansen retiring from Deadliest Catch?
He told People in June 2026 that he does not see retiring anytime soon. In 2025 he had said he expected to fish “a few more years.”
Did Sig Hansen have a heart attack?
Yes. Fox News noted a heart attack while filming in 2016, and the Northwest Signal reported a slight one in October 2018 after an allergic reaction to an antibiotic.
Who might take over the Northwestern?
Hansen has said he wants his daughter, Captain Mandy Hansen, to take on more responsibility, and he praised his son-in-law Clark Pederson.
Is Sig Hansen on Deadliest Catch Season 22?
Yes. He ran a scouting mission with an underwater drone to find red king crab near St. George Island, according to ComingSoon.
