Todd Meadows, best known as a deckhand onDeadliest Catch, has died while filming the show, aged 25.
Meadows was the newest crew member on the Aleutian Lady, a boat featured on the high-riskDiscovery Channelreality series.
According to reports, the vessel was being filmed at the time of Meadows's death, which occurred on 25 February. A GoFundMe set up in his honour confirmed he died while "crabbing out on Alaskan waters".
Deadlineclaimed that the vessel was the last one featured in the forthcoming 22nd season that was still at sea, and that filming concluded shortly after Meadows's death.
Captain Rick Shelford, who has been a regular on the show since 2023, called it the "most tragic day in the history of the Aleutian Lady".
Shelford continued: "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."
A spokesperson for Discovery Channel said his death was "a devastating loss", adding: "We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Todd Meadows. Our hearts are with his loved ones, his crewmates, and the entire fishing community during this incredibly difficult time."
He is survived by his wife and three children.
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Deadliest Catchpremiered in 2005, following a group of king crab fishermen in Alaska as they embarked on the perilous journey to catch the seafood delicacy in the Bering Sea. The title is inspired by the high risk of injury or death linked to the line of work.
In 2019, a boat set to appear onDeadliest Catch: Dungeon Covecapsized in Newport, Oregon, killing three fisherman: Joshua Porter, 50, James Lacy, 48 and Stephen Biernacki, 50.
Discovery Channel paid tribute to the victims: "We feel deeply saddened by the news, as we feel part of the crabbing community. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families and the entire community during this difficult time."
A friend of Porter told local news he had planned for the voyage to be his last on this particular boat because he found the crew to be "inexperienced".
"Those were his words," Celeste Paranto toldThe Oregonian. "It's very sad. Because he was a responsible person. He went out on the trip and never returned home. I'm really having a hard time with it."
Oregon State Police said that the incident occurred after the fishermen asked the US Coast Guard (USCG) to assist them in crossing the Yaquina Bay bar shortly before 10 pm because of "high seas".
Shortly after, authorities discovered the boat "had capsized with three people onboard". The fatal incident was witnessed by a Coast Guard crew who reportedly carried out a search and rescue mission.
According to the USCG Pacific Northwest'sTwitterpage, they were "battling 12 to 14-foot" waves.