Todd Meadows, a crewmember on one of the fishing vessels featured on the long-running reality series *Deadliest Catch*, has died at the age of 25.
Rick Shelford, captain of the Aleutian Lady, announced Meadows’ passing in a Monday post on Facebook and Instagram, revealing that he died on February 25. Shelford described it as “the most tragic day in the history of the Aleutian Lady on the Bering Sea.”
“We lost our brother,” Shelford wrote in a heartfelt tribute. “Todd was the newest member of our crew, but he quickly became family. His love for fishing and 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.”
“He worked hard, loved deeply, and brought joy to those around him,” Shelford added. “Todd will forever be part of this boat, this crew, and this brotherhood. Though we lost him far too soon, his legacy will live on through his children and in every memory we carry of him.”
A fundraiser established in Meadows’ name describes the deckhand from Montesano, Washington, as a devoted father to “three amazing little boys.” It notes that he died “while doing what he loved, crabbing out on Alaskan waters.”
According to the Associated Press, Meadows died after reportedly falling overboard approximately 170 miles north of Dutch Harbor, Alaska.
“He was recovered unresponsive by the crew approximately ten minutes later,” Chief Petty Officer Travis Magee, a spokesperson for the Coast Guard’s Arctic District, told the AP. The Coast Guard is currently investigating the incident.
Meadows was a first-year cast member on *Deadliest Catch*, the Discovery Channel reality series that follows crab fishermen navigating the treacherous winds and waves of the Bering Sea during the Alaskan king crab and snow crab fishing seasons. The show, which debuted in 2005, had not yet aired any episodes featuring Meadows.
Deadline reported that the show was in production on its 22nd season when the incident occurred, with the Aleutian Lady, captained by Shelford, being the last vessel still out at sea at the time. Production has since concluded.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Todd Meadows,” a Discovery Channel spokesperson said in a widely circulated statement. “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.”
https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2026-03-03/todd-meadows-deadliest-catch-deckhand-dies