‘Deadliest Catch’ Deckhand Todd Meadows Dies at 25 After Falling Overboard During Filming

The “Deadliest Catch” community is mourning the loss of one of its own. Todd Meadows, a 25-year-old deckhand on the fishing vessel Aleutian Lady, died on February 25 after falling overboard in the Bering Sea during filming for the long-running Discovery Channel series.

The U.S. Coast Guard received a notification shortly after 5 p.m. local time from the Aleutian Lady that Meadows had gone overboard approximately 170 miles north of Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Crew members were able to recover him about ten minutes later, but he was unresponsive.

“First aid and attempts to resuscitate were unsuccessful, and the crew transported the deceased to Dutch Harbor,” Chief Petty Officer Travis Magee, a spokesperson with the Coast Guard’s Arctic District, said in a statement.

The Coast Guard is actively investigating the incident. His body was received at the Anchorage Medical Examiner’s office on February 27, where an autopsy was performed. His remains were released to his family on March 2.

“The Coast Guard is currently investigating this situation. As the nation’s leading marine safety organization, the Coast Guard investigates marine casualties and accidents to uncover their causes and initiate necessary corrective actions,” a Coast Guard representative said.

It remains unknown whether the incident was captured on camera, as the show was in production on its 22nd season at the time.

Aleutian Lady Capt. Rick Shelford took to social media to honor his fallen crew member, calling February 25, 2026 “the most tragic day in the history of the Aleutian Lady on the Bering Sea”.

“We lost our brother, Todd Meadows,” Shelford wrote. “Todd was the newest member of our crew, he quickly became family. His love for fishing and his strong work ethic earned everyone’s respect right away. His smile was contagious, and the sound of his laughter coming up the wheelhouse stairs or over the deck hailer is something we will carry with us always”.

Shelford continued: “Todd’s love for his children, his family, and his life was evident in everything he did. He worked hard, loved deeply, and brought joy to those around him. Right now, our hearts are broken in a way that words can’t fully express. We ask that you lift Todd’s children and family in prayer and keep them in your thoughts as they face the days ahead without him”.

Meadows, from Montesano, Washington, joined the “Deadliest Catch” cast in May 2025, making this his first year as a cast member. No episodes from his season have aired yet.

Beyond his work on the show, Meadows was remembered as a devoted father to three young sons. A GoFundMe campaign established in his memory had raised more than $36,000 as of March 3 to support his children and cover funeral expenses.

“Some men get called to the water. Not because it’s easy. Not because it’s safe. But because it’s who they are. Todd Meadows was one of those men,” Isaiah Morrison of PNW Outdoor Pursuits wrote in a Facebook tribute. “For guys like Todd, the ocean wasn’t just work. It was purpose. It was how he provided”.

Fellow crew member Trey John Green III, who was Meadows’ bunkmate on the Aleutian Lady, shared his grief: “Todd was my bunkmate. He loved his children and family above all else. I’m grateful to have met him aboard the F/V Aleutian Lady. How can we possibly continue?”.

Kennady Harvey, identified as the mother of Meadows’ children, added: “Thank you for the tribute to my children’s father. He absolutely loved the brotherhood of fishing. I will never let his children forget him”.

Discovery Channel released a statement expressing their condolences: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Todd Meadows. This is a devastating loss, and our hearts are with his loved ones, his crewmates, and the entire fishing community during this incredibly difficult time”.

Meadows’ death adds to the somber history of “Deadliest Catch” cast members who have died over the show’s two-decade run. Previous losses include Capt. Phil Harris of the Cornelia Marie, who died in 2010 at age 53 following a massive stroke. In 2021, crewman Todd Kochutin, 30, died from injuries sustained while aboard the fishing vessel Patricia Lee.

The show, which first aired in 2005, documents the dangerous and often deadly work of crab fishermen navigating one of the world’s harshest environments.

Nico Huerta, another commenter on Morrison’s tribute, captured the sentiment of those who knew Meadows: “We are all broken over this. This should never have happened. Especially to such a great person. A real man and a warrior. I loved him like a brother the short time I knew him”.

As the Coast Guard investigation continues, the “Deadliest Catch” family and Meadows’ loved ones are left to mourn a young man taken far too soon while doing what he loved.