How did Todd Meadows die? ‘Deadliest Catch’ star’s horrifying cause of death revealed; check here

Todd Meadows, who appeared as a deckhand in high-sea adventure TV series “Deadliest Catch," died on February 25, 2026. According to TMZ, when his unresponsive body was recovered from the Bering Sea, first aid and attempts to resuscitate were unsuccessful. Meadows' bunkmate confirmed the cameras were rolling at the time.

The official cause behind Meadows' death has been revealed, and it sounds horrific and painful. Todd died from "drowning with probable hypothermia" and "submersion of body in cold water," according to his death certificate obtained by the celebrity news outlet.

The public document says Todd was pronounced dead at 5:15 PM on Feb. 25 in an "accident" aboard the Aluetian [sic] Lady crab vessel in the Bering Sea.


Earlier the news outlet had reported that Todd fell overboard while crabbing on a fishing boat off the coast of Alaska, and "Deadliest Catch" cameras were rolling. Todd's family told TMZ that they don't want Discovery to air any footage of the incident.

In March 2026, Angela Meadows, mother of Todd Meadows, told the outlet, "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. We hope they only air good things of Todd on that boat."

At the time, the Coast Guard investigated the case, and Angela said she was assured that Todd did not suffer in his final moments.

The document stated that Todd's body was cremated after being transported back to Anchorage. Todd, 25, is survived by his wife and three children. His family started a GoFundMe, which has raised $56K and counting.