{"id":1405,"date":"2026-05-08T18:41:30","date_gmt":"2026-05-08T18:41:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/deadliest-catch-star-todd-meadows-felt-fortunate-before-death-in-season-22-premiere\/"},"modified":"2026-05-08T18:41:30","modified_gmt":"2026-05-08T18:41:30","slug":"deadliest-catch-star-todd-meadows-felt-fortunate-before-death-in-season-22-premiere","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/deadliest-catch-star-todd-meadows-felt-fortunate-before-death-in-season-22-premiere\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Deadliest Catch&#8217; star Todd Meadows felt &#8216;fortunate&#8217; before death in Season 22 premiere"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2026\/05\/127254814.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>\u201cDeadliest Catch\u201d star Todd Meadows \u2014 who <a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2026\/03\/02\/celebrity-news\/deadliest-catch-star-dead-at-25\/\">died at sea<\/a> while filming Season 22 of the Discovery Channel reality series \u2014 makes heartbreaking comments during Friday\u2019s premiere.<\/p>\n<p>The 25-year-old from Washington state marvels, \u201cEverything up here that I\u2019ve experienced so far is so much bigger. Everything is scaled up. It smells different, feels different.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Meadows \u2014 who is survived by his three young sons \u2014 explains that while the job comes with \u201ca lot of risk,\u201d he wants to show his boys that it\u2019s important to pursue one\u2019s passions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI just want my kids to know that I want them to work towards their dreams and goals. Don\u2019t let anything slow you down,\u201d Meadows says, adding, \u201cIt\u2019s gonna be fun. I\u2019m just fortunate that I fell in love with it.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>Late \u201cDeadliest Catch\u201d star Todd Meadows (pictured above) makes heartbreaking comments during Friday\u2019s Season 22 premiere. <span class=\"credit\">GoFundMe<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>The episode begins with the rookie deckhand (seen here in a previous social media photo) telling the camera, \u201cIt\u2019s been one of my dreams and goals to make it up her.\u201d <span class=\"credit\">GoFundMe<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<aside class=\"single__inline-module aligncenter wp-block-nypost-editor-primary-tag\">\n<\/aside>\n<p>The screen then cuts to a title card with his photo and the words, \u201cIn Memory of Todd Meadows, 2000-2006.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Later in the episode, Meadows\u2019 captain, Rick Shelford, makes an eerie remark about the Bering Sea\u2019s \u201cshredding currents and towering waves.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A priest is also shown stopping by Shelford\u2019s Aleutian Lady fishing vessel and blessing the crew before their charter.<\/p>\n<p>Notably, Meadows\u2019 family <a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2026\/04\/06\/celebrity-news\/deadliest-catch-star-todd-meadows-family-lawyer-up-to-file-wrongful-death-lawsuit\/\">has since lawyered up<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Shelford announced Meadows\u2019 death on Facebook on March 2, writing in part, \u201cFebruary 25, 2026 was the most tragic day in the history of the Aleutian Lady on the Bering Sea. We lost our brother, Todd Meadows.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>\u201cEverything up here that I\u2019ve experienced so far is so much bigger,\u201d the 25-year-old from Washington state (pictured above in a previous social media photo) marvels. <span class=\"credit\">GoFundMe<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>The father of three (seen here with one of his sons) explains that while the job comes with \u201ca lot of risk,\u201d he wants to show his kids that they should \u201cwork towards their dreams and goals.\u201d <span class=\"credit\">Todd Meadows\/Facebook<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Shelford noted that Meadows was \u201cthe newest member of [their] crew\u201d but praised his work ethic, contagious smile, infectious laughter and love for his family, including his children.<\/p>\n<p>According to Green, the notoriously treacherous water was actually \u201ccalm\u201d that day, even though it was \u201conly a degree or two above freezing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Green told us that many of the vessel\u2019s crew members had taken turns getting into the pots \u2014 baited, rigid traps used to catch shellfish \u2014 to sift through crabs retrieved from the ocean.<\/p>\n<p>Green alleged that Meadows was still inside one of the 900-pound pots when it went \u201cover the rail\u201d and back into the water, claiming the other crew members screamed when they saw what was happening.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s one of those things that none of us really understand. I don\u2019t know what happened,\u201d Green explained.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>\u201cIt\u2019s gonna be fun. I\u2019m just fortunate that I fell in love with it,\u201d Meadows (pictured above in a previous social media photo) says. <span class=\"credit\">Todd Meadows\/Facebook<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>The screen then cuts to a title card with his photo and the words, \u201cIn Memory of Todd Meadows, 2000-2006\u201d (he\u2019s seen here in a previous social media photo). <span class=\"credit\">CaptainRick Shelford\/ instagram<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cSo that\u2019s what Todd was doing. The pot is sitting in the launcher, and Todd was actually inside the pot.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Green emphasized that Meadows was \u201cin the right place at the right time,\u201d \u201cdoing exactly what he was supposed to be doing\u201d when the incident occurred.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re like, \u2018Holy crap, he\u2019s gonna sink to the bottom. We\u2019re not gonna have any way to get this pot back up,&#8217;\u201d Green recalled thinking, adding that he immediately ran to the back of the ship, climbed on top of the other pots and looked for Meadows.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI see Todd. He\u2019s floating, he\u2019s swimming. He\u2019s got huge baby blue eyes. And I can still, probably from like 100 yards away, I could still see his eyes looking around,\u201d Green recalled.<\/p>\n<p>He said he kept his finger on Meadows while Shelford turned the ship around to get within a few feet of him.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTodd\u2019s still alive, he\u2019s still swimming, he\u2019s still trying to hang in there. We get next to him, and then Steve [Porter] \u2014 Steve is the \u2014 every boat has a designated rescue swimmer for this exact kind of scenario.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>Later in the episode, Meadows\u2019 captain, Rick Shelford (pictured above), makes an eerie remark about the Bering Sea\u2019s \u201cshredding currents and towering waves.\u201d <span class=\"credit\">captainrick.shelford\/Facebook<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>A priest is also shown stopping by Shelford\u2019s Aleutian Lady fishing vessel (seen here) to bless the crew before their charter. <span class=\"credit\">Discovery<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cSteve was already geared up and was already in the diving suit,\u201d Green told us, adding that \u201cwhen Steve jumped in the water, the harness that was attached to the crane actually broke.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Green said other crew members then\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2026\/03\/05\/celebrity-news\/inside-deadliest-catch-crews-desperate-attempts-to-save-todd-meadows-before-death\/\">managed to get a life sling that\u2019s attached to the crane into the water<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>At this point, Green explained that Meadows was able to work with Porter and get himself into the sling. Green said Meadows was \u201chalfway up\u201d and \u201calmost back on the boat\u201d when he \u201cfell back into the water.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe second time we went to go lift him up, Todd was just\u2013 he was lifeless,\u201d Green lamented. \u201cHe didn\u2019t have any more \u2014 like I said, the first time, he was fighting, trying to get onto the sling. And then the second time, he was just \u2014 he was lifeless.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to Green, Meadows was in the water for only \u201cthree or four minutes\u201d before they successfully got him back on the vessel, but by that point, he was already \u201cturning blue\u201d as foam came out of his mouth and nose.<\/p>\n<p>Still, Green said he and others began performing CPR \u201cright away.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>Cameras captured everything that occurred on the boat before, during and after Meadows\u2019 Feb. 25 death, but Discovery Channel insisted they would not be airing the death itself. He\u2019s pictured above in a previous social media photo. <span class=\"credit\">Todd Meadows\/ Facebook<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"nyp-slideshow-modal-image wp-block-image aligncenter size-full\"><figcaption>Meadows\u2019 family has retained counsel. He\u2019s seen here in a previous social media photo. <span class=\"credit\">GoFundMe<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cWe finally brought him inside and continued CPR. The boat has an AED [machine] \u2026 it\u2019s basically a defibrillator. And we tried to use that, too, and it just \u2014 nothing was working. And finally, finally, after a half hour, 45 minutes of trying to save him, Captain came down and said, \u2018Guys, it\u2019s not gonna work,&#8217;\u201d Green recalled.<\/p>\n<p>He explained to us that the Aleutian Lady was about \u201c12 hours away\u201d from Dutch Harbor when they exhausted all rescue efforts. He said the crew then made the difficult decision to wrap Meadows\u2019 body in a tarp, place it in the freezer to preserve it and head back to town.<\/p>\n<p>Meadows\u2019 cause of death was later determined to be\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2026\/04\/06\/celebrity-news\/deadliest-catch-star-todd-meadows-horrifying-cause-of-death-released\/\">\u201cdrowning by probable hypothermia\u201d and \u201csubmersion of body in cold water.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Green admitted to us that Meadows was not wearing a lifejacket, noting, \u201cOn this boat, we don\u2019t wear lifejackets. I don\u2019t really know what the reason is.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The US Coast Guard\u2019s investigation remains ongoing.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cDeadliest Catch\u201d Season 22 premieres Friday at 8 p.m. on the Discovery Channel.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/pagesix.com\/2026\/05\/08\/entertainment\/deadliest-catch-star-todd-meadows-felt-fortunate-before-death-in-season-22-premiere\/\" target=\"_blank\">Source link<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cDeadliest Catch\u201d star Todd Meadows \u2014 who died at sea while filming Season 22 of<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1406,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/127254814.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1405","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1405"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1405\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1406"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1405"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1405"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/login9ja.com\/global\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}