Deadliest Catch Deckhand Todd Meadows’ Cause of Death Revealed

Gina Alexander

Official Cause of Death Confirmed

More than a month after the tragic passing of Deadliest Catch deckhand Todd Meadows, his official cause of death has been released. According to a death certificate obtained by TMZ, the 25-year-old crew member died from "drowning with probable hypothermia" and "submersion of body in cold water." The incident occurred while Meadows was working aboard the Aleutian Lady, crabbing off the Alaskan coast.

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A Tragic Loss at Sea

The news of Meadows' death was first confirmed on March 2 by Aleutian Lady Captain Rick Shelford via a heartfelt social media post. Reflecting on the events of February 25, 2026, Shelford described it as the most tragic day in the vessel's history. "We lost our brother, Todd Meadows," the captain wrote, noting that despite being the newest member of the crew, Meadows had quickly become family.

Captain Shelford praised Meadows' work ethic and infectious personality, stating, "His love for fishing and his strong work ethic earned everyone’s respect right away. His smile was contagious, and the sound of his laughter coming up the wheelhouse stairs or over the deck hailer is something we will carry with us always."

The Circumstances of the Accident

Trey John Green III, a bunkmate of Meadows, provided further insight into the incident, confirming that Meadows fell overboard while the vessel was at sea. The U.S. Coast Guard reported that while the crew successfully recovered Meadows from the water after approximately 10 minutes, he was unresponsive, and all subsequent resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful.

"Todd was an amazing human," Green told Us Weekly, emphasizing that the crew did everything within their power to save him during the emergency.

Family Plea Regarding Footage

In the wake of the tragedy, Meadows' mother, Angela Meadows, has publicly requested that the production team behind Deadliest Catch refrain from airing any footage of the accident. In statements provided to TMZ and Alaska’s News Source, she expressed the family's desire to protect his memory, stating, "We don’t want to see any footage from the accident and do not want Discovery to air any of that footage or make money off of our son’s death. No parent would want the world to watch their child die."