Meadows, a deckhand on the reality show about the high-stakes world of crab fishing, died on Feb. 25.

Deadliest Catch star Todd Meadows’ sister speaks out after he dies at sea while filming reality fishing show

Meadows, a deckhand on the reality show about the high-stakes world of crab fishing, died on Feb. 25.

By Shania Russell

Shania Russell

Shania Russell is a news writer at *, *with five years of experience. Her work has previously appeared in SlashFilm and Paste Magazine.

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March 4, 2026 5:32 p.m. ET

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'Deadliest Catch' star Todd Meadows. Credit:

captain_rick_shelford/Instagram

The family of *Deadliest Catch* deckhand Todd Meadows is voicing their grief following news of his sudden death.

Meadows, who was known for his time on the Discovery Channel series about high-stakes crab fishing, died last month after falling overboard during production on the show's 22nd season. Two days after his death was announced by Captain Rick Shelford, his sister Mackenzie Meadows is speaking out.

"No words put together can even describe the pain we’re going through and will continue to," she said in a Tuesday statement to *Us Weekly.* "His boys will see him through pictures, and we will see him through his boys."

Todd, who was just 25, died suddenly on Feb. 25, while the reality fishing show was filming off the Alaskan Coast. *Deadliest Catch* star Capt. Rick Shelford broke the news of Meadows' death in a Monday Facebook post, describing the incident as "the most tragic day in the history of the Aleutian Lady on the Bering Sea."

Shelford added, "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."

Todd Meadows on 'Deadliest Catch'.

The following day, one of Meadows' costar on the show, Trey John Green III told *Us Weekly* that a camera was rolling as Meadows fell overboard on Aleutian Lady in the Bering Sea on Feb. 25.

"It was filmed, unfortunately," Green said. "There is a deck cam as well that records 24-7, everything, and it caught everything from the incident as well."

That same day, the U.S. Coast Guard disclosed additional information about Meadows' final hours, revealing that after his fall, he was "recovered unresponsive by the crew approximately ten minutes later." There were first aid attempts to resuscitate him, which were ultimately unsuccessful, and Meadows was later transported to the nearby Dutch Harbor.

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The spokesperson added that the Coast Guard is still investigating the situation, as it would for all cases of "marine casualties and accidents" in order to "uncover their causes and initiate necessary corrective actions."

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Meadows is survived by his three young sons. A GoFundMe campaign to support his family has raised over $41,000 as of Wednesday afternoon.

Discovery, the network on which *Deadliest Catch* has aired since it premiered in April 2005, also issued a statement addressing the death.

"We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Todd Meadows," a rep told EW. "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."

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