Discovery reality series Deadliest Catch has been offering a glimpse into the high-stakes world of crab fishing on the Bering Sea, one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, since it first aired in 2005. It already has an impressive 20 seasons behind it, and even more heart-pounding episodes are on the way. Even more impressive, it has earned a whopping 59 Emmy nominations.
Just as the show’s title implies, the cast of Deadliest Catch often finds themselves in dangerous and incredibly stressful situations, especially as they rush to meet their quota for the season. The ocean itself provides plenty of danger, from the threat of storms to the danger of rogue waves, and it seems just about every ship has experienced both in the show’s years on the air. On top of that, the ship’s captains have dealt with everything from hitting other ships to harrowing health crises, all providing harrowing examples of what makes the job so dangerous.
10. Deckhand Threatens to Sabotage the Time Bandit
“Lunatic Fringe”, Season 11, Episode 11
Time Bandit’s Captain Jonathan Hillstrand struggled with erratic deckhand Danny Chiu in Season 11. First, Danny slapped a greenhorn in the face for no reason, then his behavior escalated to threatening Hillstrand and the boat—including by removing parts from the engine and tossing out-of-season crab into tank, so the ship would face huge fines. Danny’s threats and behavior were so concerning, Hillstrand returned to the harbor and fired him.
Issues with deckhands aren’t uncommon on Deadliest Catch, from those who struggle with the stress of the job and being away from their families to those who don’t pull their weight in the work-intensive job. But Danny was something else altogether, from physical violence to threats against the livelihood of Hillstrand and, by extension, the rest of his crew. Some fans suspected Danny’s behavior was an attempt at seeking fame, while others thought his threats were sincere.
9. Time Bandit Man Overboard
“Nowhere to Go But Down”, Season 8, Episode 9
At the ice-covered docks in Dutch Harbor, where the Time Bandit was picking up its pots, crew member Travis Lofland attempted to jump onto the dock but missed, instead plunging into the icy water. As his fellow crew members scrambled to get him out of the water, the captain worried he had already been in too long. Although Lofland made it out of the water safely, he was confronted by his angry captain as he tried to warm up.
Someone going overboard is always a serious, stressful situation—it can cause major injuries, with a risk of death. Lofland’s fall was even more dangerous due to the ice and freezing temperatures, and it was proof that even at the relatively safety of the docks, things could still go very wrong. The concern of the crew, and captain especially, was palpable, especially as they grew more concerned over the length of time Lofland had spent in the water.
8. Southern Wind and Summer Bay Boats Collide
“Force Majeure”, Season 17, Episode 5
While the Southern Wind was in the docking port, the ship needed to be repositioned to load crabbing pots onboard. But the Summer Bay was stationed nearby, and as the Southern Wind tried to move, high winds of 50 knots led to the two ships colliding, even as Captain Steve “Harley” Davidson tried to avoid it. Both crews scrambled to mitigate the situation, and the only damage to the ships was minor dents and scrapes.
Two boats colliding was incredibly dangerous and could’ve resulted in serious injuries to the crew and significant damage to both vessels or their equipment, especially if the wind had been worse. Fortunately, the incident passed with both crews unscathed and minimal damage to the ships, despite both captains being unprepared for the collision. Damage could’ve required expensive repairs, cutting into a ship’s profits and making things more difficult for the captain.
7. Saga Loses Its Life Raft
“Point of No Return”, Season 17, Episode 3
With the Saga caught in a storm at night, the crew worked hard to save its life raft after it went overboard. Right when it seemed they had succeeded, the raft dropped and was back out to sea, with the weight of the raft combined with the choppy seas. It was a tough job on one deckhand compared to pulling a truck sideways through sand. Finally, with additional help, the crew managed to get the raft back onboard.
Storms can cause plenty of damage, and they certainly have over the years on Deadliest Catch. And although the ship itself or the equipment wasn’t damaged in this case, a crucial piece was one that the crew could potentially rely on in an emergency, making saving it of the utmost importance. It was stressful to watch the crew struggle, and it was a huge relief to see them succeed in saving the raft.
6. Summer Bay Leak
“Shipbreakers”, Season 17, Episode 11
The Summer Bay began to take on water due to a hole in the void, an empty area of the ship, and if enough water filled the space, the ship was at risk of sinking. Crew members climbed into the cramped space to find where the damage was and fix it as quickly as they could, while the captain anxiously awaited updates on the extent of the damage and the progress of repairs. The hole was repaired by welding a steel plate over it.
There’s no good time for a ship to experience flooding, but while at sea, a flooding vessal is probably the worst it can get, and few scenarios are more stressful than a ship at risk of sinking. It was difficult to watch the crew in such a cramped space as it filled with water, but both the ship’s captain and crew kept impressively calm and focused on getting the job done, proving their abilities to think and act quickly.
5. Rogue Wave Hits the Aleutian Ballad
“Friends and Rivals”, Season 2, Episode 5
The Aleutian Ballad encountered a storm so bad, fishing was impossible, and the crew retreated to the mess deck, while the intense rain left Captain Jerry “Corky” Tilley struggling to see and steer the ship. The Aleutian was then unexpectedly pummeled by a 60-foot rogue wave, which pushed the boat on its side, dislodged the camera aboard the ship and knocked out the ship’s power. Several crew members were injured, including Tilley’s daughter, Nicole.
Storms and rogue waves are both par for the course on Deadliest Catch, but these were particularly rough. The storm was bad enough, and the rogue wave made the situation worse, it was a terrifying moment for both the crew and the audience, and although it resulted in multiple injuries, they could’ve been even more serious. The incident was a stressful reminder of how dangerous the sea alone can be.
4. The Northwestern Loses Power
“Fire at Sea Part 2”, Season 12, Episode 14
In the middle of pulling up crab pots, the Northwestern unexpectedly lost power just as a fire broke out in the engine room. The crew was able to extinguish the fire quickly, and after making sure everyone was okay, Sig went to evaluate the damage himself, while the ship was forced to rely on the limited time provided by backup battery power until everything was back up and running.
The Northwestern’s abrupt loss of power was stressful on its own, with clear panic in Sig’s voice, but the situation was made even more stressful—and dangerous—by the fire. Unbelievably, that wasn’t the only trouble the Northwestern had. The ship also lost power while Sig was pushing to reach his quota at the end of the season, leaving the ship running on a single generator, and once lost its steering during a typhoon.
3. Wizard Hit By Wave
“No Second Chances”, Season 5, Episode 9
After a huge wave struck the Wizard, Captain Keith Colburn called for the crew to report to the bow, but when he didn’t receive a response, he went below deck to find multiple crew members injured, while most of them had cuts to their faces. Keith’s brother Monte was injured the worst after having been thrown into the drag anchor, causing injuries to his ribs. Keith made the decision to head back to Dutch Harbor.
The ships of Deadliest Catch have all encountered dangerous waves, but the one that struck the Wizard proved how harmful they could be and what an impact they could have. Although they were fortunate the crew’s injuries weren’t worse, they were still bad enough that Keith felt turning back was the best course of action, demonstrating how a single wave could affect the fishing season. It also wasn’t the only time the Wizard suffered damage from a wave.
2. Medevac Aboard the Wizard
“Vital Signs”, Season 8, Episode 6
While on the Wizard, greenhorn Chris Scambler began to complain of severe pain in his right shoulder and arm, and after being taken off deck, his condition worsened. He collapsed and complained of numbness in his face, and when the captain realized he was seeing double, the Coast Guard was called. Scrambler’s condition worsened, and he was taken to a hospital in Alaska. The cause was thought to be severe dehydration.
Any medical emergency at sea is stressful, but the lack of trained medical personnel aboard the ships makes the stakes even higher, and in Scrambler’s case, as his condition worsened, the situation became more stressful. The situation demonstrated how quickly an injury or illness can become serious, as well as how quickly a ship’s captain sometimes has to act and how crucial the Coast Guard is for the ships as they risk their own lives to save others.
1. Sig’s Heart Attack
“The Widowmaker”, Season 12, Episode 18
In the helm of the Northwestern, Sig suddenly began experiencing severe chest pain. At first, he was determined to continue with the interview he’d been doing, but as his pain became more unbearable—he described it as a knife in his chest—the producer he was with became increasingly concerned, and Sig’s brother took over the wheel to rush to shore to get Sig medical attention. Sig was transported to a hospital via airplane.
The lack of medical personnel makes any medical situation aboard a ship stressful, but something as potentially life-threatening as a heart attack is even more so. Sig was clearly in a great deal of pain, while his brother and the crew were very concerned for his well-being, and for good reason—Sig’s heart attack was ultimately revealed to be a widowmaker, and he was lucky to be alive.
