Discovery Channel has revealed how the upcoming season of Deadliest Catch will address the tragic death of 25-year-old cast member Todd Meadows, who fell overboard into the Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska on February 25. Despite a desperate rescue attempt by his crewmates aboard Captain Rick Shelford's Aleutian Lady fishing vessel, Meadows could not be saved.
Footage Will Not Be Broadcast
According to background information obtained by Variety, cameras were rolling on the Aleutian Lady at the moment Meadows' harness snapped. However, out of deference to his loved ones, including his wife and three young children, the incident will not be broadcast. Instead, an homage to Meadows will air on the premiere episode on May 8. Sequences he filmed for the show will appear in subsequent episodes, and the impact of his death on the crew and fishing community will be part of the season's narrative.
This decision comes over a month after Meadows' mother, Angela, publicly urged the network not to air footage of her son's death. 'We don’t want to see any footage from the accident and do not want Discovery to air any of that footage or make money off of our son’s death,' she told TMZ. 'We hope they only air good things of Todd on that boat.'
Details of the Incident
Meadows' death certificate, obtained by TMZ, lists the cause as 'drowning with probable hypothermia' and 'submersion of body in cold water.' He was pronounced dead at 5:15 p.m. on February 25 in an accident aboard the Aleutian Lady crab vessel in the Bering Sea. His body was cremated after being transported to Anchorage. An investigation by the Coast Guard is ongoing, with the family expressing hopes for 'justice.'
Deckhand Trey John Green III, 30, recounted the harrowing moments to Page Six. He said Meadows was in the water for 'three or four minutes' before being retrieved, but by then he was 'turning blue' with foam emerging from his mouth and nose. The crew performed CPR for 45 minutes before Captain Shelford halted efforts. Green noted that the sea was 'flat' and 'calm' that day, with high visibility, but the water was 'only a degree or two above freezing.'
Rescue Attempt Details
Green described how the rescue harness broke during the first attempt to lift Meadows from the water. A life sling was deployed, and Meadows was 'halfway up' when he fell back into the water. By the second attempt, he was lifeless. An AED machine was used but 'nothing was working.' Green also claimed that Meadows was not wearing a lifejacket, a common practice on the boat due to the demanding work conditions.
Prior Head Injury
Days before his death, it was reported that Meadows had suffered a traumatic brain injury at work. His mother said he was taken off work on medical leave after a blow to the head about a month prior, which was diagnosed as a concussion. He was cleared to return weeks before the fatal incident. The family does not blame Deadliest Catch for the concussion.
A GoFundMe campaign for Meadows' family has raised over $48,000. The family has requested clips of Todd crabbing to remember him doing what he loved.
