As Deadliest Catch season 19 plays out in 2023, fans are remembering one of the show’s past deckhands. Some ask what happened to Blake Painter as he’s no longer on Deadliest Catch. The former Discovery Channel star sadly passed away in 2018.

The Discovery Channel show has seen many crab fishermen come and go as well and many former cast members have sadly passed away. Nick McGlashan was another of the Deadliest Crew cast members to have an untimely death. He was just 33 years old.

What happened to Blake Painter on Deadliest Catch?

Blake Painter joined Deadliest Catch in 2005 during season 1.

He was a deckhand and engineer aboard the F/V Maverick.

By season 2, Blake became a deck boss and later took over from Rick Quashnick as the Maverick’s captain.

Blake sadly passed away

Despite having a prosperous looking future in the crab fishing industry, Blake sadly passed away at the age of 38.

He was a second-generation fisherman who began his career at 19.

Blake tragically passed away in 2018 two years after surviving a life-threatening car accident. Heavy reports, via The Daily Astorian, that his “truck was completely destroyed against the tree.”

Deadliest Catch star’s untimely death

Blake Painter’s body was discovered in his Oregon home on May 25, 2018, by a friend who became concerned for his wellbeing.

According to a report from TMZ, a variety of drugs were found by Blake’s body and it appeared that he had been dead for several days.

The reports continued: “No foul play is suspected in his death, and an autopsy and toxicology test will be done to determine the official cause.”

Fox News reported at the time that Discovery Channel told them: “We are saddened by his death and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.”

Blake’s tragic death was caused by an “accidental drug overdose,” reports The Daily Mail. His Deadliest Catch co-star, Nick, suffered the same deadly fate in 2020 when he also passed away from an accidental drug overdose at the age of 33.