TLDR: Since Deadliest Catch premiered in 2005, ten cast and crew members have died — three during active production at sea and seven on land during the off-season.
The most famous death is Captain Phil Harris in 2010, whose final days were filmed at his own request.
The most recent is deckhand Todd Meadows, who fell overboard from the Aleutian Lady on February 25, 2026, at age 25. Steve Ward, frequently cited online as a 2014 death, did not die — he is alive.
Crab fishing in the Bering Sea is one of the most dangerous jobs in America. During the 1990s, the fatality rate ran as high as 770 deaths per 100,000 workers — roughly 80 times the rate for average American workers. The entire premise of Deadliest Catch rests on that danger.
Over twenty seasons, the show has documented the price that reality extracts from the people who live it.
Deaths During Active Production
Phil Harris — February 9, 2010
Captain Phillip Charles Harris was the commander and part-owner of the F/V Cornelia Marie and one of the show’s defining personalities.
On January 29, 2010, while the vessel was offloading opilio crab at Saint Paul Island during Season 6 filming, Harris suffered a massive stroke in his cabin.
He was found on the floor by the vessel’s engineer Steve Ward — paralyzed and unresponsive.
He was airlifted to Anchorage for emergency neurosurgery and placed in a medically induced coma. He emerged from the coma long enough to say goodbye to his sons Josh and Jake over nine conscious days.
He died on February 9, 2010, at age 53 from a subsequent intracranial hemorrhage.
He had explicitly demanded the camera crews continue filming throughout his hospitalization. Discovery built the Season 6 finale around his decline, and the tribute episode drew 5.4 million viewers.
His sons attempted to continue captaining the Cornelia Marie after his death.
Todd Kochutin — February 26, 2021
Todd Kochutin, 30, was a deckhand on the F/V Patricia Lee. During Season 17 production in the Bering Sea, he was struck and pinned by an 800-pound steel crab pot.
A medical evacuation helicopter was dispatched but his internal injuries were catastrophic. He died shortly after the impact.
He was the last surviving member of his immediate family, having previously lost his parents and two siblings.
The Season 17 finale, “The Ultimate Price,” captured the moment news of his death spread via radio across the fleet.
Todd Meadows — February 25, 2026
Todd Meadows, 25, was a rookie deckhand on the F/V Aleutian Lady under Captain Rick Shelford, filming Season 22. He had joined the crew in May 2025 and described Alaska as a lifelong dream.
On February 25, 2026, approximately 170 miles north of Dutch Harbor, he fell overboard while in a crab pot seated in the ship’s launcher when it went over the rail. The crew recovered him within ten minutes but he was unresponsive. CPR was unsuccessful.
The incident was filmed but will not be broadcast out of respect for his family. His mother stated publicly: “No parent would want the world to watch their child die.” Season 22 premiered on May 8, 2026, opening with footage of Meadows filmed before his death, showing him talking about his dream.
A GoFundMe for his family raised nearly $40,000. He is survived by his father Lucas Meadows and three young sons. The full story of how Season 22 honored him is covered here.
Deaths Off-Season and On Land
Justin Tennison — February 22, 2011
Justin Tennison, 33, was a deckhand on the F/V Time Bandit — not the Northwestern, as some sources incorrectly state.
He was found dead in a hotel room in Homer, Alaska, having recently returned from sea.
An autopsy confirmed acute pulmonary and cardiovascular complications from severe sleep apnea. The Time Bandit crew paid tribute on screen, calling him “tough as a bull and an all-around good hand.”
He was survived by two children.
Tony Lara — August 8, 2015
Tony Lara, 50, served as relief captain on the Cornelia Marie during Season 7 after Phil Harris’s death, helping the Harris family keep the vessel running.
He died of a sudden heart attack in his sleep while attending the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota during the off-season. F/V Wizard Captain Keith Colburn described him as “a top-notch chief, great captain, and even better friend.”
Blake Painter — May 25, 2018
Blake Painter, 38, appeared during Seasons 2 and 3 as captain of the F/V Maverick. A second-generation fisherman who had been crabbing since childhood, he had struggled publicly with substance abuse in the years after leaving the show.
He was found dead in his home in Astoria, Oregon — discovered by a concerned friend days after his death. The Clatsop County Sheriff’s Office found prescription medications and drug paraphernalia including substances suspected to be heroin and methamphetamine at the scene.
He was 38.
Mahlon Reyes — July 25, 2020
Mahlon Reyes, 38, worked as a deckhand on multiple vessels including the Seabrooke, Cape Caution, and Summer Bay. He suffered a sudden heart attack during the off-season in Whitefish, Montana, and was hospitalized but never regained consciousness.
A subsequent toxicology report ruled his death an accidental drug overdo
se from acute cocaine intoxication. He was survived by his wife Heather and their four children. Captain Wild Bill Wichrowski had previously accommodated Reyes’s recovery from a severe leg injury on the Summer Bay.
Nick McGlashan — December 27, 2020
Nick McGlashan, 33, was a prominent deck boss on the Summer Bay who had been fishing the Bering Sea since age 13. He died in a hotel room in Nashville, Tennessee. A coroner’s examination confirmed his cause of death was an accidental overdose from a toxic combination of methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl.
His struggle with substance abuse had been part of his storyline on the show — he had left production in 2017 to enter rehab before returning sober.
He died just five months after his close friend Mahlon Reyes. Season 17 Episode 9 showed Wild Bill receiving the news at Anchorage airport. He was survived by two children.
Ross Jones — June 22, 2022
Ross Jones worked briefly as a greenhorn on the F/V Saga during Season 16. He died on June 22, 2022. Out of respect for his family, his crewmates and the fan community chose not to disclose his age or exact cause of death.
Captain Jake Anderson posted a public tribute on Instagram: “I loved Ross Jones… You made me piss my pants on many occasions. TO VALHALLA!” He was survived by his partner Chloe and their young son.
Tom Brossard — January 2024
Tom Brossard, 64, was the longtime engineer of the F/V Saga and Jake Anderson’s closest collaborator on the vessel’s extensive rebuild. He died of a sudden heart attack in Calbayog, Philippines, where he lived with his wife Josephine.
Anderson had spent months working alongside him rebuilding the Saga’s bow, stern, and interior. Anderson called him his “best friend over the last nine years.”
His death was integrated into a Season 21 episode broadcast in September 2024, showing Anderson receiving the news by phone while at sea.
He was survived by his wife, children, and grandchildren.
Nick Mavar Jr. — June 13, 2024
Nick Mavar Jr., 59, was a deckhand and maintenance mechanic on the F/V Northwestern who appeared in 98 episodes between 2005 and 2021 — one of the longest runs of any crew member in the show’s history.
Captain Sig Hansen called him his “right-hand man.” Mavar had left the show in 2020 after suffering a ruptured appendix during production, during which a cancerous tumor was also discovered.
He subsequently filed a $1 million lawsuit against the Northwestern’s owners, alleging they failed to maintain an adequate medical emergency plan during pandemic-related restrictions.
He died on June 13, 2024, from a heart attack while climbing a ladder at a boatyard in Naknek, Alaska, where he was prepping equipment for salmon season. He was taken to Camai Medical Center where life-saving measures were unsuccessful.
Season 21 Episode 5 featured a ceremonial memorial at sea conducted by Hansen and Mavar’s nephew, Captain Jake Anderson. He was survived by his wife Julie.
The Claim That Steve Ward Died Is False
Steve Ward appears regularly in online lists of Deadliest Catch deaths, usually cited as dying in November 2014. This is unverified and almost certainly incorrect.
The Steve Ward connected to the show is the Cornelia Marie engineer who discovered Captain Phil Harris paralyzed on the cabin floor in January 2010 — one of the most significant moments in the show’s history.
There is no verified production notice, press release, or news article confirming his death. Multiple individuals named Steve Ward died in 2014 in unrelated circumstances.
His death should not be included in any accurate account of the show’s losses.
The Pattern Behind the Deaths
Of the ten confirmed deaths, only three happened during active production at sea — Phil Harris, Todd Kochutin, and Todd Meadows.
The remaining seven happened on land during the off-season, and five of those involved substance abuse or cardiovascular stress connected to the physical and psychological demands of the work.
The transition from the high-stakes, high-adrenaline environment of the Bering Sea to the quiet of land-based life is its own kind of danger, and the show’s casualty list reflects that reality as honestly as any single statistic about Alaskan crab fishing could.
Who died on Deadliest Catch?
Ten cast and crew members have died since Deadliest Catch premiered in 2005. They are: Phil Harris (2010, stroke during filming), Justin Tennison (2011, sleep apnea complications), Tony Lara (2015, heart attack), Blake Painter (2018, accidental drug overdose), Mahlon Reyes (2020, cocaine overdose), Nick McGlashan (2020, fentanyl/methamphetamine/cocaine overdose), Todd Kochutin (2021, crushed by crab pot during filming), Ross Jones (2022, cause undisclosed), Tom Brossard (2024, heart attack), Nick Mavar Jr. (2024, heart attack), and Todd Meadows (2026, fell overboard during filming).
How many people have died on Deadliest Catch?
Ten cast and crew members with documented connections to Deadliest Catch have died since the show premiered in 2005. Three died during active production at sea — Phil Harris, Todd Kochutin, and Todd Meadows. The remaining seven died on land during the off-season, five of whom died from drug overdoses or cardiovascular events linked to the physical and psychological demands of crab fishing.
Did Steve Ward from Deadliest Catch die?
No. Steve Ward, the Cornelia Marie engineer who discovered Captain Phil Harris on the cabin floor after his stroke in 2010, did not die. He appears regularly in online death lists with an alleged 2014 date, but this is unverified and almost certainly incorrect. There is no confirmed news report, production notice, or obituary connecting the Deadliest Catch Steve Ward to any death.
How did Phil Harris die on Deadliest Catch?
Captain Phil Harris suffered a massive stroke on January 29, 2010, while the Cornelia Marie was offloading crab at Saint Paul Island during Season 6 filming. He was found by his engineer Steve Ward and airlifted to Anchorage for emergency neurosurgery. He had nine conscious days to say goodbye to his sons Josh and Jake before dying on February 9, 2010, at age 53 from a subsequent intracranial hemorrhage. He had explicitly asked the camera crews to keep filming throughout his hospitalization.
Who died on Deadliest Catch most recently?
The most recent death is Todd Meadows, a 25-year-old deckhand on the Aleutian Lady who fell overboard into the Bering Sea on February 25, 2026, during Season 22 production. He died from drowning and hypothermia. The incident was filmed but will not be broadcast. Season 22 premiered on May 8, 2026, opening with a tribute featuring footage Meadows filmed before his death. He is survived by his father and three young sons.
