In Memoriam: Remembering Deadliest Catch Cast Who Passed Away

Remembering Deadliest Catch cast who passed away. Even when the Deadliest Catch cast and crew are fully active against such dangerous shipping conditions, the Discovery Channel has also shown that the fishermen face their share of scary moments, injuries, and even death. A considerable number of tragedies have occurred that are not specifically linked to fishing. Let’s have a look at those late stars of the show.

Reynold Melon Reyes (Melon Reyes)
Deckhand Melon Reyes is the latest among all to drop dead. Reyes’ wife disclosed his death to TMZ, explaining that he was left unconscious by a heart attack and took his last breath on July 26 when the family chose the following day to take him off life support.

Blake Painter
As reported by TMZ, former Deadliest Catch captain Blake Painter was found dead at the age of 38 in his home in Astoria, Oregon. Since leading the FV Maverick, he hadn’t been on the show since 2007. When a friend of his had not heard from him in a couple of days, the police found his body at home. Police also confirmed that they are checking for narcotics at the scene and did not suspect foul play. Pending an autopsy and toxicology examination, the official cause will be issued.

Phil Harris
The demise of Captain Phil Harris in 2010 saddened everyone. While unloading crab in Alaska, Cornelia Marie suffered a stroke. According to Josh Harris, his whole left side, including his arms, was paralyzed. He came out of a medically induced coma but, after being rushed to the hospital and surgery, he died after nine days at the age of 53, surrounded by family and friends.

Tony Lara
Former Deadliest Catch captain Tony Lara, who appeared in six episodes of the Discovery show, died of a heart attack while sleeping in Sturgis, South Dakota in 2015. Lara’s captain, Keith Colburn, described him as a really good guy with wonderful character. It was hard to hear about the sudden death of such a helpful man at just 50 years old.

Justin Tennyson
Deckhand Justin Tennyson, who worked on the Deadliest Catch’s Time Bandit, suddenly passed away at the young age of 33 due to complications from sleep apnea, just four days after returning from the sea. Tennyson was found dead in a hotel room in Homer, Alaska. He is survived by a son, daughter, sister, father, and grandparents. The family of the Time Bandit voiced their condolences for his hard work and sacrifices.

Keith Anderson
Dr. Anderson Keith’s death is by far the most disturbing of the Deadliest Catch deaths. Keith Anderson, the son of current Saga captain Jake Anderson, went missing in 2010 when Jake was a Northwestern deckhand. Although his truck was found in a rural part of Washington, his skeletal remains were only discovered two years later near his truck by a hiker. The heartbreaking events were also played out on Discovery’s show.

Joe McMahon
Although he may not have been carrying crabs like other stars, Joe McMahon encountered serious conditions in front of the camera. In July 2015, McMahon was shot and killed near his parents’ home in Pasadena, California at the age of 24. He worked on nine episodes of Deadliest Catch as an associate producer. The LA County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that the accused gunman was found dead in his vehicle with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The Ocean Challenger
In 2006, the sinking of the Ocean Challenger off the Alaskan coast took the lives of many fishermen. Skipper David “Cowboy” Hasselquist of Huna, Alaska, and Walter Foster of Westberg, Washington, were found dead by the Coast Guard when the boat capsized for unknown reasons. A third man, identified as a 26-year-old Kodiak fisherman, was never recovered. Kevin Farrell, 28, was the only survivor and was the only one wearing a survival suit, according to the Coast Guard.

The Crew of the Destination
In 2017, another tragedy occurred, taking the lives of crew members Charles Glenn Jones, Larry O’Grady, Raymond Winkler, Derek Sabold, Kai Hamik, and Captain Jeff Hathaway. The Destination sank unexpectedly into the Bering Sea. Jake Anderson told Pop Culture that this loss was hard because Hathaway was the first person to offer him a real job as a captain. He expressed how much he misses him and noted how the whole fleet was affected.

These stars were not only part of the Deadliest Catch cast but also sources of inspiration for so many. Their deaths deeply affected their devoted fans, and they will be missed.