Deadliest Catch deckhand Todd Meadows tumbled into the raging Bering Sea while filming the Discovery Channel hit off the coast of Alaska — and his fatal plunge was caught on camera, according to reports.
The doomed rookie, who was crabbing on the Aleutian Lady, was scooped out of the frigid waters by fellow fishermen within 10 minutes, and first aid was promptly administered. But the 25-year-old could not be revived, and the crew brought his body back to Dutch Harbor.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) told Page Six watchstanders at the Arctic District command center in the city of Juneau were alerted that a crew member on the ship had fallen overboard about 170 miles north of the harbor’s commercial fishing port.
The USCG rep says the agency is investigating the incident as it does all marine casualties and accidents.
Trey John Green III, who was bunkmates with Todd, told Us Weekly the crew “did everything we could to save him” and calls his fallen colleague “an amazing human.”
Green has also confirmed that cameras captured the tragedy as it unfolded.
“Discovery is done filming, but there was a producer and a deck cam guy on the boat for the past two months filming for season 22 of the show,” he added. “It was filmed, unfortunately.”
Angela Meadows, Todd’s heartbroken mother, is pleading with Discovery to keep the horrific clip under wraps.
“We don’t want to see any footage from the accident and do not want Discovery to air any of that footage or make money off of our son’s death. We hope they only air good things of Todd on that boat,” Angela told TMZ.
However, Angela added that the family did ask for footage of the father of three crabbing, so they can watch him do what he loved and “have the videos for memories.”
Meanwhile, the Meadows family is waiting to learn how the accident occurred.
“We don’t want to put the blame on anyone, but someone has to take responsibility,” Angela added. “We will have justice for Todd.”
