“Deadliest Catch”’s Sig Hansen Reflects on Todd Meadows’ Death and Recalls Last Time He Spoke to Him (Exclusive)

Deirdre DurkanFri, June 5, 2026 at 8:33 PM UTC

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Sig Hansen; Todd MeadowsCredit: Discovery; captain_rick_shelford/Instagram -

Sig Hansen reflects on the death of deckhand Todd Meadows, 25, and how he had recently spent time with him before his death

Meadows fell overboard while working on the Aleutian Lady fishing vessel

Hansen also discusses the increasing dangers of crab fishing, retirement rumors and why he's not ready to leave the wheelhouse anytime soon

The death of deckhand Todd Meadows continues to weigh heavily on the Deadliest Catch community.

While speaking with PEOPLE about the latest season of the Discovery series, longtime captain Sig Hansen reflected on the loss of the 25-year-old fisherman, who died in February while working aboard the Aleutian Lady.

"That happened suddenly," Hansen says. "I know the Coast Guard is still doing an investigation, so there's still speculation about what happened and why."

The veteran captain reveals that he had recently spent time with Meadows before learning of his death.

"I was actually with him and my crew before one of our trips," Hansen recalls. "He was there with some guys from the Aleutian Lady. We shot a game of pool together, and he seemed like a very friendly fellow. He was very proud of his two kids."

Todd MeadowsCredit: Captain Rick Shelford/Instagram

The tragedy also left Hansen thinking immediately of Captain Rick Shelford, who worked alongside Meadows aboard the Aleutian Lady.

"I felt for Captain Rick immediately," Hansen says. "I didn't even dare reach out to him because I knew he was going through a world of hurt. It's family up there, and that makes it really hard to absorb."

Meadows' death was announced by Shelford in a Facebook tribute on March 2. In the post, the captain remembered the young fisherman as someone whose "love for fishing and his strong work ethic earned everyone's respect right away."

"Todd's love for his children, his family, and his life was evident in everything he did," Shelford wrote at the time.

A Discovery spokesperson later said the network was "deeply saddened" by the loss, calling it a "devastating" tragedy for Meadows' loved ones, crewmates and the broader fishing community.

As viewers watch the newest season unfold, Discovery has confirmed that Meadows' death itself will not be shown onscreen, a decision Hansen supports. "The story will be told respectfully," he says. "I don't think they're going to do anything that's going to hurt anybody."

"If they're not going to show anything like that, respectfully, I think it's the right call," he adds. "It's hard enough as it is."

While the season is marked by tragedy, it also captures some of the fleet's most dangerous fishing yet, with crews traveling farther north than ever before in pursuit of crab.

"The farther north you go, the farther away from land and safety. Sometimes you get out there so far it's too far for the Coast Guard to even come and get you," Hansen says when asked whether the increased distance changed the experience.

Sig HansenCredit: Discovery

"If you have weather pop up or mechanical failures, you're on your own," he continues. "That's a very scary feeling, trust me."

Hansen knows that reality firsthand. "Years ago we got line wrapped around the propeller, and we drifted for a day or two while everyone else kept fishing," he recalls. "We had to wait for another boat to finish the season and tow us in. Pretty humbling experience."

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He also remembers another captain becoming trapped in an ice pack for nearly two weeks. "Nobody could get to him," Hansen says. "Sometimes greed will get you."

"If you talked to the 28-year-old Sig, I might've been one of those guys," he adds. "But now? Not gonna happen."

More than two decades after Deadliest Catch first premiered, Hansen says age and experience have changed his outlook on risk.

"I don't have as much to prove anymore. And your fear of mortality changes too. You don't want to put yourself in harm's way as much," he says. "I actually get more fearful as I get older. That's the truth."

For Hansen, success isn't measured solely by the size of a catch anymore.

"Number one, everybody comes back safe and sound," he says. "That's priority number one."

Still, his competitive streak remains intact. "But a successful season is still catching crab faster than the next guy and beating your competitors home," Hansen says with a laugh. "That's always fun. I can't hide the truth."

The longtime captain admits the rivalries featured on the show haven't disappeared either. "Oh, without question," he says. "Everybody wants to win. Your boat becomes its own little team, and you're playing against the next one."

This season, Hansen teamed up with fellow captains including Bill Wichrowski, Keith Colburn and Jonathan Hillstrand, though he jokes decades of competition don't disappear overnight.

"Over all these decades working with these guys, it's still competitive, and we still don't have trust in each other, honestly," he says. "They'll all say the same thing."

"Jonathan is a great guy, but he can still lie to you, and I'll lie back," Hansen continues. "It's embedded in our DNA. I don't lie to my wife. I don't lie to my kids. But I sure the hell lie to fishermen. That's when I'm on the job."

Despite health concerns and ongoing retirement speculation following his previous heart attacks, Hansen insists he's not ready to leave the wheelhouse behind. "I keep hearing those rumors myself. The more I hear that, the more I kind of want to rebel and not do that," he says. "I don't see retiring anytime soon."

Part of that decision, Hansen admits, comes down to pride. "I think there's a little ego involved," he says. "And I don't want anybody knocking me off my throne just yet."

Though he and his wife have begun working on a tourism event center project in Norway, Hansen says he can't imagine fully stepping away from the industry. "Even if someone else was running the boat, your mind is still active," he says. "You're thinking about the weather, where they're at. You can never turn it off. ... I don't think I'd respect myself if I could just walk away from it completely."

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Deadliest Catch airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Discovery and streams on HBO Max.

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