Deadliest Catch cast member reveals circumstances that led to Todd Meadows’ death
A cast member from Deadliest Catch has shed some more light on the circumstances that led to the tragic death of Todd Meadows last month.
At the age of just 25, Meadows, who was the newest member of the crew for the Discovery Channel reality series, passed away following an incident on the boat.
Captain Rick Shelford shared a lengthy tribute on Facebook on Monday (2 March) to share that the deckhand had died on 25 February during filming for the 22nd series of the show which challenges crab fishermen in dangerous and competitive conditions.
Meadows' cause of death was previously unknown, but it was confirmed earlier this week that he had 'fallen overboard' while working on the Aleutian Lady.
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And now a fellow cast member has explained exactly what happened before Meadows was tragically killed, with the young fisherman tragically leaving a wife and three children behind.
Speaking to Page Six, deckhand Trey John Green III gave his account of what happened on February 25, when the fishermen were out exploring the Bering Sea, around 170 miles north of Alaska.
He explained that the waters were 'calm' but that the temperature was only just above freezing, and that the crew members were taking it in turns to climb inside the pots, which are the traps used to catch shellfish, as they would then sift through crabs that had been retrieved from the ocean.
However, tragedy struck when the pot that Meadows was inside fell overboard, with the deckhand claiming that other crew members screamed when they realised what happened.
He said: “It’s one of those things that none of us really understand. I don’t know what happened.
“So that’s what Todd was doing. The pot is sitting in the launcher, and Todd was actually inside the pot.
"We’re like, ‘Holy c**p, he’s gonna sink to the bottom. We’re not gonna have any way to get this pot back up.'"
Green immediately ran to the back of the boat and spotted Meadows fighting hard, suggesting that he managed to make it out and that he was 'swimming' and 'trying to hang in there'.
However, the cold temperatures took their toll during the few minutes that he was in the water and by the time that the ship's designated swimmer was able to bring him back on board, his body was lifeless.
Although they spent close to an hour trying to resuscitate the father-of-three but sadly he could not be saved. An official cause of death is yet to be released.
A representative for the Discovery Channel network explained that the investigation is still ongoing, while the US Coast Guard also provided a statement.
It said: “The Coast Guard Investigating Officer is currently working with a team of qualified marine casualty investigators to compile evidence. The Investigating Officer will then create an official account and timeline of the incident to determine: (1) the cause or contributing factors, (2) evidence of misconduct or negligence, (3) whether there was a failure of material, and (4) if any personnel from the Coast Guard or other government agency caused or contributed to the cause of the incident.
“This process is vital to drawing accurate conclusions and initiating any necessary corrective actions to prevent similar accidents and casualties from occurring in the future.”
The rep said 'findings will not be disclosed while the case is open' and that the USCG 'does not assign a timeline for completing an investigation.'
A GoFundMe has also been set up to support Todd's family following his death.
Topics: Fishing
James Moorhouse