“Deadliest Catch” star Todd Meadows’ final conversation with his children aired during the show’s season finale, giving viewers a glimpse of the 25-year-old deckhand shortly before his death, according to TMZ.
During a FaceTime call with his three children, Meadows spoke with his son about going fishing together when he returned home. His daughter then expressed concern about his safety.
All About the Heartbreaking Conversation
“I hope you’re being safe. If you’re not being safe, you better be safe,” she told him.
Meadows responded, “Oh, I’m being safe.”
The episode then shifted to the chaotic events that led to Meadows going overboard in the waters off Alaska.
After crew members heard screams and realized someone had fallen into the Bering Sea, Captain Rick Shelford turned the Aleutian Lady around and ordered the crew to locate Meadows and bring him back aboard.
Meadows spent more than six minutes in the frigid water before crew members pulled him from the sea unresponsive. The crew immediately began CPR while Shelford contacted the Coast Guard.
Meadows died Feb. 25. His death certificate lists “drowning with probable hypothermia” and “submersion of body in cold water” as causes of death.
The episode also included footage showing Meadows discussing what working in Alaska meant to him. In a behind-the-scenes clip that aired in May, he described fishing in the region as “one of my dreams and goals.”
After news of Meadows’ death emerged, his bunkmate and fellow “Deadliest Catch” cast member Trey John Green III spoke about the tragedy and confirmed that the incident was captured on camera.
Meadows’ Coworkers Previously Opened Up About the Tragedy
Green, who shared a bunk with Meadows aboard the Aleutian Lady, told US Weekly that Meadows was “an amazing human.”
“Unfortunately, [it] ended in tragedy,” Green said, adding that the crew “did everything we could to save him.”
Green also confirmed that Meadows died “at sea” and described the difficulty of trying to save someone who had gone overboard.
“It’s no easy task” to save a life, he said.
According to Green, cameras were recording on the boat at the time of the incident. He explained that a producer and deck camera operator had been aboard for two months while filming the upcoming 22nd season.
“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,” Green said. “It was filmed, unfortunately … There is a deck cam as well that records 24-7, everything, and it caught everything from the incident as well.”
Meadows was a deckhand on “Deadliest Catch,” the Discovery series that follows crab fishermen working in the dangerous waters off Alaska. He joined the crew aboard the Aleutian Lady as the show documented the challenges of life at sea.
His death has also prompted efforts to support his family. A GoFundMe campaign was launched to raise money for his three sons following his death.
The season finale now gives viewers a final look at Meadows as he spoke with his children from the boat, unaware that it would be his last conversation with them.
