Before fisherman Todd Meadows went overboard and died while filming Deadliest Catch in February, the Discovery Channel series captured his final moments, including an emotional call with his family.
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Deadliest Catch gave a look at Todd Meadows’ final moments.
Seven months after the fisherman died at the age of 25 when he went overboard the Aleutian Lady ship, the Discovery Channel aired the hours before and after his tragic death.
During a FaceTime video call with family, Meadows told one of his young sons that he would take him fishing once he returned home to Washington.
Meanwhile, a young girl told Meadows—a dad to three—to be diligent while working on the ship.
“I hope you’re being safe,” she said during the Sept. 25 episode. “If you’re not being safe, you better be safe.”
In response, Meadows assured her, “Oh, I’m being safe.”
Elsewhere in the episode, the deckhand explained that despite the current season being “one of the rougher seasons for the boat,” he didn’t regret embarking on the journey.
“It’s been one of my dreams and goals to make it up here,” he said. “That’s why I’m up here to make it and to try to support my family.”
And though Meadows noted the decision to leave home for extended periods of time for a dangerous job was a “heart-wrencher,” he shared the message he hoped his kids would learn from seeing him pursue his passion.
“Work towards your dreams and goals, don’t let anything slow you down,” he shared. “If you put your mind to it, you can do anything. [I] just want my kids to know I want them to work hard and be successful in life.”
Todd Meadows/Facebook
While the Deadliest Catch episode didn’t show Meadows going overboard, it captured the aftermath when the crew turned the boat around to attempt his rescue. However, despite his retrieval and crew members performing CPR, Meadows remained unresponsive.
The deckhand’s cause of death was later determined to be “drowning with probable hypothermia” and “submersion of body in cold water,” according to his death certificate obtained by TMZ.
Following his death, captain Rick Shelford of the Aleutian Lady shared his heartbreak.
“Todd was the newest member of our crew, he quickly became family,” he wrote on Facebook in March. “His love for fishing and his strong work ethic earned everyone’s respect right away.”
Shelford added, “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.”
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