The U.S. Coast Guard is officially investigating the death of “Deadliest Catch” star Todd Meadows after the late deckhand “fell overboard” during a fishing expedition last month in Alaska, the maritime law enforcement agency confirmed Tuesday in a statement.
“The Coast Guard is currently investigating this situation,” it read. “As the nation’s leading marine safety organization, the Coast Guard investigates marine casualties and accidents to uncover their causes and initiate necessary corrective actions.”
Meadows joined “Deadliest Catch” last year and had yet to appear in an episode before his death on Feb. 25. TMZ reported Monday that the 25-year-old died during a fishing-related incident while filming the upcoming season of the show.
The USCG statement provided new preliminary details surrounding his death.
It read, “Coast Guard watchstanders at the Arctic District command center in Juneau received notification from the fishing vessel Aleutian Lady, reporting that a crew member by the name of Todd Meadows fell overboard approximately 170 miles north of Dutch Harbor.”
“He was recovered unresponsive by the crew approximately ten minutes later,” the statement continued. “First aid and attempts to resuscitate were unsuccessful, and the crew transported the deceased to Dutch Harbor.”
“Deadliest Catch” chronicles the dangerous lives of crab fishermen aboard fishing vessels in the Bering Sea. Several captains and deckhands associated with the show have died since the reality television series premiered on the Discovery Channel in 2005.
Aleutian Lady Captain Rick Shelford on Monday paid tribute to Meadows on Facebook.
“February 25, 2026 was the most tragic day in the history of the Aleutian Lady on the Bering Sea,” he wrote in a statement, per People. “We lost our brother, Todd Meadows. Todd was the newest member of our crew, he quickly became family.”
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.”
Meadows is survived by his wife and three children. His family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help with the funeral costs and the financial toll on his loved ones in the coming months, raising more than $38,000 of the $45,000 goal as of noon Wednesday.
“Any donation, no matter the size, will go directly toward honoring his life and ensuring his boys are cared for in the way he would have wanted,” notes the donation page. “If you are unable to give, please keep our family in your prayers and his name alive like he wanted.”
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