'Deadliest Catch' Star Todd Meadows' Cause of Death Revealed — After He Fell Overboard While Filming New Season in Tragic Accident
Todd Meadows's cause of death has been confirmed.
April 6 2026, Published 1:37 p.m. ET
Deadliest Catch star Todd Meadows drowned in the cold water of the Bering Sea, RadarOnline.com can confirm.
The reality star was tossed overboard while crabbing on a fishing boat and filming for the reality show off the coast of Alaska.
A Family Torn Apart
Meadows fell overboard while crabbing.
Meadows was working on the Aleutian Lady in February, and Deadliest Catch cameras reportedly captured the tragedy on film. According to his death certificate, the 25-year-old died from "drowning with probable hypothermia" and "submersion of body in cold water."
The Coast Guard's investigation into the tragedy is ongoing, but Meadow's family is adamant that Discovery not air any footage of the incident.
They've also begun exploring their legal options, with plans to file a wrongful death lawsuit. However, the target of that suit is not yet known.
"We don't want to put the blame on anyone, but someone has to take responsibility. We will have justice for Todd," his mother, Angela Meadows, told TMZ.
The Death Was Caught on Film
His family has asked Discovery not to air the footage of his death.
According to shipmate Trey John Green III, Meadows died while crabbing on the vessel, Aleutian Lady. What was supposed to be a harmless fishing mission "ended in tragedy," Green recalled to Us Weekly, as the crew onboard "did everything we could to save him."
Green, who remembered Meadows as an "amazing human," confirmed the tragic death was filmed for the upcoming season 22 of Deadliest Catch.
"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. It was filmed, unfortunately," Green claimed.
He added, "There is a deck cam as well that records 24/7, everything, and it caught everything from the incident as well."
Captain Rick Shelford Reflects on the 'Tragic Day'
The 25-year-old leaves behind three sons.
A week after Meadows' passing, Captain Rick Shelford confirmed the news, calling it the "most tragic day in the history of the Aleutian Lady on the Bering Sea."
"Right now, our hearts are broken in a way that words can’t fully express," Shelford added in a heartbreaking Facebook post, and begged fans to keep Meadows' "children and family in prayer and keep them in your thoughts as they face the days ahead without him..."
Meadows shared three kids with Kennady Harvey, who wrote, "I know how much you loved me and the boys, and I just hope you knew how much I loved you, and I never stopped loving you," on Facebook following his passing.
She added, "You passed doing what you loved, and that brings me a little bit of comfort knowing that."
GoFundMe's Massive Outpouring
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His family share their love for all the support.
A GoFundMe for Meadows, who Shelford revealed was the "newest member of our crew," was launched in his honor and has raised over $57,000. After originally setting a goal of $45,000, organizers of the campaign have since bumped the new goal to $65,000.
In an update to the fund earlier this week, Meadow's mother shared, "Luke and I are at a loss for words! We can't even begin to describe how our hearts feel. It's been over a month now, but sometimes feels like it was yesterday. We are still hurting so bad."
The family announced the money that is being raised will be put aside for his burial, headstone, and his "precious children."
"At Todd's service, there [were] over 400 people who came to show their respect for Todd! It was unbelievable and filled our hearts with so much love. Todd was loved by MANY and that just shows what an amazing human being he was!"
They added: "We wish we could do something for everyone to show you how incredibly thankful and blessed we are!! I know my son Todd is looking down and saying, YES, THAT'S MY FAMILY, THANK YOU, I LOVE YOU ALL."
