Discovery’s “Deadliest Catch” seems to be one of those shows with an over-the-top name for marketing purposes, but unfortunately, in this case it fits the bill, maybe a little too well. Fan or not, a person living in 2024 has most likely heard the name somewhere thanks to its massive media attention. While there may be no such thing as bad publicity, there are definitely negative reasons for it. When it comes to that, “Deadliest Catch” ranks among the most heart-wrenching television projects to date.
From sinking into freezing waters to scrambling to make ends meet, there are few misfortunes yet to befall the fearless crews who brave the Bering Sea to get their hands on the highly coveted Alaskan king crab. Their exploits are legendary, but the sacrifice can be so great that few would want to be in their shoes, even for a day. This point is perfectly illustrated in the emotional outfall of some of the saddest moments ever shown throughout the show’s duration.
The sinking of F/V Destination
The most horrific tragedy that shook the Alaskan fishing community to its core took place on 11 February 2017. The Fishing Vessel (F/V) Destination, with its seasoned crew, set out on a voyage that would ultimately be their last. Caught in a fierce storm on the open waters, the vessel and all hands aboard were lost to the depths, as explained in the episode aired on 22 August later in the year, entitled “Lost at Sea.”
While it’s unknown how exactly the experienced fishermen ended up in the worst possible scenario, the prevailing theory is that the captain chose to continue a course in spite of worsening weather conditions, potentially counting on previously paid-off gambles. While the Destination wasn’t one of the main vessels featured in the show, its crew was dear to multiple screen veterans such as Sig Hansen – the captain of the Northwestern.
F/V Destination’s skipper and five other crew members met their end due to a mixture of technical issues present on the vessel, as the improperly distributed cargo weight coupled with a 330,000lb outer ice sheet capsized them. If things weren’t already tragic enough, the storm was so fierce that the crew disappeared completely. All that remained as proof of their plight were a few lobster pots bobbing on the surface, discovered by the Coast Guard as they frantically searched for the grieving families’ loved ones.
We were deeply saddened to learn of the loss of the Scandies Rose, and ask for prayers for their Captain and crew and for the Coast Guard team who continues to search for the missing crew members.https://t.co/MT3l2M5HJS
— F/V Time Bandit (@FVTimeBandit) January 1, 2020
The loss of F/V Scandies Rose
The sinking that extinguished another five lives struck on New Year’s Eve, hours away from 2020. The crewmen of F/V Scandies Rose were on their way from the coastal city of Kodiak to the Bering Sea fishing grounds with almost 200 crab pots in tow, when everything went south in the blink of an eye. It was a disaster hours in the making, with extremely thick sheets of ice wrapping around the boat.
One of the men on board, the only one awake besides the captain, Gary Cobban Jr., had the idea of waking the rest to prepare them for a difficult voyage, but his superior decided against it. The vessel went off the radar close to Sutwik Island, with seven crew members. The only silver lining is that two of them managed to survive, rescued in the nick of time by the coast guard. The other five, much as in the previous case, will never have a proper burial, as their remains are forever lost to the deep blue.
The survivors, Dean Gribble and Jon Lawler, re-told the harrowing story in several interviews, revealing the depths of the panic that had overtaken the crew in their last moments. They watched as the ice piled up and weighed their only safe haven toward the freezing depths, and then it all went dark, as the generator shut off as well. The knowledge of the crew’s torturous finale was perhaps what sapped most spirit out of fans and stars alike as the news broke, leaving a tangible weight in the air for a good while.
The death of Phil Harris
F/V Cornelia Marie was one of the heaviest boats featured in the early days of “Deadliest Catch,” with its highly experienced captain Phil Harris undeniably a star of the show. The fans couldn’t get enough of his expertise-driven decision making, while most seagoers considered him a role model. He was only 53 years old when he suffered a stroke in the sixth season of the series, on 29 January 2010. The situation was grim at the outset, but a competent team of medical professionals in Anchorage reignited his hopes, following difficult surgery that he began to recover from.
Phil’s history of unhealthy habits, such as working in a high-stress environment and chain-smoking to offset the anxiety, led doctors to believe that he would require at least two months of strict rest before he could regain a semblance of regular bodily functions. To everyone’s surprise, his ability to squeeze hands and talk came back in a week; that’s precisely what made the tragedy all the more devastating when he suffered a hemorrhage in his skull and passed away 11 days after the first incident, on 9 February 2010.
Justin Tennison’s passing
Justin Tennison was a charismatic deckhand-turned-engineer on F/V Time Bandit – part of the so-called holy quartet of “Deadliest Catch” alongside the Northwestern, Wizard and Saga. He was young at just 34 when his lifeless body was discovered at an inn on 21 February 2011. The police told the media that drugs and alcohol were found on the scene, but an autopsy revealed that these substances only worsened an underlying issue, instead of causing death in and of themselves.
Tennison was apparently a heavy snorer, having suffered from sleep apnea for most of his adult life. The condition is provoked into its most severe form with the use of narcotics and general lack of rest, both of which were amply present in his televised day-to-day. As a result, the engineer choked to death in his sleep. It was ultimately a perfect storm of chance and negative circumstances that eventuated in Justin’s death, causing sudden, deep grief to both viewers and co-stars.
Mahlon Reyes’ death
One of the most recent Bering Sea burials took place in 2020, when the ashes of Mahlon Reyes were scattered over its unforgiving depths following his unforeseen passing on 27 July. During his time in the show, he’d manned the Seabrooke and Cape Caution, appearing in 14 episodes overall. That notwithstanding, it wasn’t his screen presence that made his death so mournful, but the unnatural circumstances that took him from the world at only 35 years of age.
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The cause was initially ruled a heart attack without further explanation, and the public had to wait five months to find out just what an accidental loss this was, through a long-time-coming autopsy report. It was finally explained that Reyes may have ingested a little more cocaine than intended, and his heart muscle caved under the blood pressure, even with no known pre-existing health conditions. Mahlon left behind a family of four, lamenting co-workers, and a grief-stricken audience.
“Deadliest Catch” is ultimately an authentic documentary TV series about high stakes that duly strives to show both the wins and losses of those involved in the seafaring gamble, so it’s difficult to overstate how many negatively charged moments occur in any given episode. Even with all that being the case, these events left a much longer-lasting impression on everyone involved.
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