Todd Meadows from ‘Deadliest Catch’: What We Know About His Passing
The official cause of death for Deadliest Catch deckhand Todd Meadows has been released. According to a death certificate obtained by TMZ, Meadows died from “drowning with probable hypothermia” and “submersion of body in cold water.”
Meadows was pronounced dead at 5:15 PM on February 25 following an accident aboard the Aleutian Lady crab vessel in the Bering Sea. The document indicates that Meadows had been fishing for crabs with the crew when he fell overboard, a detail that had previously been reported but lacked clarity at the time. The U.S. Coast Guard is currently investigating the incident.
“On February 25, 2026, at 5:05 p.m. local Alaska time, 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,” stated the federal agency. “He was recovered unresponsive by the crew approximately ten minutes later. First aid and attempts to resuscitate were unsuccessful, and the crew transported the deceased to Dutch Harbor.”
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Shelford, a cast member on the show since Season 19, described Meadows’ death as the “most tragic day in the history of the Aleutian Lady.”
Safety issues on the Aleutian Lady have previously been featured as a source of drama in Deadliest Catch, notably leading to Sean Dwyer’s departure from the vessel before a planned co-captaincy.
