The Deadliest Catch family has said goodbye to one of their own.
Deckhand Todd Meadows, who had recently become a member of the crew, died on Feb. 25, Captain Rick Shelford confirmed. He was 25 years old.
Rick did not share a cause of death but called Todd’s passing “the most tragic day in the history of the Aleutian Lady.”
“Todd was the newest member of our crew, he quickly became family,” he wrote on Facebook March. 2. “His love for fishing and his strong work ethic earned everyone’s respect right away.”
“His smile was contagious,” Rick continued, “and the sound of his laughter coming up the wheelhouse stairs or over the deck hailer is something we will carry with us always.”
Rick, whose vessel is one of several followed by Deadliest Catch cameras, also wrote about Todd’s family and his children, saying that his love for them “was evident in everything he did.”
“He worked hard, loved deeply, and brought joy to those around him,” he added. “Right now, our hearts are broken in a way that words can’t fully express.”