“Deadliest Catch” deckhand Todd Meadows died after falling overboard from the fishing vessel Aleutian Lady on Feb. 25, according to a published report.
TMZ, which obtained a copy of Meadows’ death certificate, reported that the 25-year-old died from drowning with probable hypothermia and submersion of his body in cold water.
Meadows’ death in the treacherous Bering Sea was ruled an accident by the Alaska Department of Health, the Los Angeles Times reported.
His passing was announced in a March 2 social media post by “Deadliest Catch” star Rick Shelford, the captain of the Aleutian Lady who appeared in 37 episodes of the show from 2023 to 2025.
"Deadliest Catch" deckhand Todd Meadows cause of death has been revealed.
— TMZ (@TMZ) April 6, 2026
Details: https://t.co/lMmXUMSxZK pic.twitter.com/tEKOlNujVD
Shelford said that Meadows died while fishing in the Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska, People reported
Meadows was recovered by crew members of the Aleutian Lady, who attempted to revive him but were unsuccessful, Entertainment Weekly reported.
The deckhand had joined the long-running reality television show on the Discovery Channel but had not been featured at the time of his death, the Times reported.
“Deadliest Catch” was reportedly finishing its production for Season 22 when the incident occurred, according to the newspaper.
Cameras were reportedly rolling when Meadows fell overboard, KTUU reported.
Trey John Green III, who appears on the series alongside the late deckhand, told Us Weekly that a camera was rolling as Meadows fell overboard.
“It was filmed, unfortunately,” Green said. “Discovery is done filming, but there was a producer and a deck cam guy on the boat for the past two months filming for Season 22 of the show.”
“There is a deck cam as well that records 24-7, everything, and it caught everything from the incident as well.”
Meadows’ mother has released a statement asking the producers of the show not to release the video.
“No parent would want the world to watch their child die,” Angela Meadows told KTUU.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Meadows was pronounced dead at 5:15 p.m. local time on Feb. 25. His death certificate noted that Meadows was cremated after his body was transported to Anchorage.
The show premiered in 2005. It follows crab fishermen off the coast of Alaska as they navigate the treacherous waters of the Bering Sea.
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