As Deadliest Catch gears up for its much-anticipated 21st season, questions swirl around the fate of one of its most beloved veterans—Captain Keith Colburn of the F/V Wizard.
Colburn, who has helmed the Wizard alongside his brother Monte since Season 3, is famed for his unfiltered grit and fierce commitment to the crab grounds of the Bering Sea. But recent health scares have fans wondering if this might be the final chapter in his storied fishing career.
During Season 20, which aired in 2024, viewers saw a side of Colburn rarely shown on deck. What started as a heated argument with Monte turned into a nightmare when Keith suddenly collapsed on board. He lost consciousness, and when he came to, the entire left side of his body was numb and his arm lifeless—signs that triggered immediate fears of a heart attack or stroke.
Monte wasted no time. With panic etched on his face, he steered the Wizard to harbor as fast as possible. Colburn was airlifted to a hospital where tests ruled out a heart attack but confirmed another serious diagnosis: a transient ischemic attack (TIA), more commonly known as a “mini-stroke.”
A TIA happens when a temporary blockage cuts off blood flow to the brain. While it usually leaves no permanent damage, it’s a red flag that a major stroke could be on the horizon.
It was a sobering moment for the skipper who, just a few years earlier in 2021, had already endured a dangerous battle with COVID-19 that turned into pneumonia and put him in the hospital for over a week.
Since the October episode aired, Colburn has kept a low profile. His last Instagram post came in December 2024 when he wished fans a Merry Christmas, followed by a brief Memorial Day message on Facebook. But he’s offered no updates on his recovery or whether he’ll brave the brutal crab season again.
Away from the cameras, Colburn’s anchor remains his family. He and his wife Florence have been together for nearly 40 years, raising two children—Kalin, now a college graduate, and Sienna, in her mid-20s.
With no official word from Discovery or Colburn himself, fans can only hope that if the veteran captain decides to step back, it’s to protect the legacy he’s built both on deck and at home. Whether he returns to the wheelhouse or not, Keith Colburn’s mark on Deadliest Catch—and on the dangerous world of crab fishing—will remain as fierce and unyielding as the Bering Sea itself.
