“Deadliest Catch” may fall squarely in the realm of TV entertainment, but that doesn’t make the dangers and rough conditions that the featured crab fishermen face during their voyages any less real. Indeed, there have been several times over the course of the series when things have gotten especially dire for one of the captains or their deckhands. That adversity has, on occasion, shifted into outright tragedy, such as when deckhand Todd Kochutin died from injuries while filming the series in 2021. A similar occurrence nearly took place back in 2019, when Jake Anderson’s right-hand man Sean Dunlop was the victim of an accidental stabbing aboard the F/V Saga.

As glimpsed in “Deadliest Catch” Season 15, Episode 3, fittingly titled “Knife in the Ribs,” an extremely worrisome situation involving Dunlop unfolded when the deckhand accidentally stabbed himself with a fishing knife that he had placed in his pocket. Fortunately, Anderson and the rest of the Saga crew discovered what had happened before it was too late, as a bloodied Dunlop was rushed off the boat for treatment. The crewmate ended up needing six stitches to treat the wound.

Perhaps the most surprising element of this “Deadliest Catch” story is that Dunlop returned to the series soon after, despite the life-threatening situation he had just faced. As it happens, the Saga deckhand resolved not to quit his post for an important — and inspiring — reason.

Dunlop knows the Saga depends on him

Sean Dunlop’s reason for returning to the F/V Saga so soon after his near-fatal accident is simple: he knew he was needed for his team to succeed. Jake Anderson admitted as much to him upon his return, telling him that they would not be able to achieve a good fishing season without his aid. “You’re not losing me,” Dunlop replied definitively. “You know I’m not letting you guys down.”

True to his word, Dunlop stayed on throughout the rest of the season despite his wound, impressing both his crewmates and the “Deadliest Catch” audience. “Sean Dunlop is by far the toughest person I’ve ever met!” Anderson wrote on Facebook after the incident. “He stabbed himself, got stitches, groaned a bit, and I never heard a f***ing word after that.”

Beyond his commitment to his team, fishing is a core part of Dunlop’s life. According to his official blurb on Discovery, he’s been working on the sea for roughly three entire decades. In that time, he’s gained a massive amount of experience not just catching crabs, but managing his fellow deckhands. Suffice to say, life and work on the water is not something he can give up easily. “When I’m out there I hate it, but when I’m home I miss it,” he explained. “It calls to me.”

Dunlop has remained a steadfast part of both the Saga crew and the “Deadliest Catch” cast since his 2019 stabbing accident, and he has shown little sign of reconsidering. At least for the time being, Anderson’s most trusted ally on the Bering Sea is staying right where he is.