THE DEADLIEST CATCH

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All eyes points to 53° 52 North / 166° 31 West: Dutch Harbor,
Alaska, where Captains Sig Hansen (Northwestern), Johnathan
and Andy Hillstrand (Time Bandit), Phil Harris (Cornelia Marie)
and Keith Colburn (Wizard) are all back for another season of
crab fishing, but storms — personal, natural and financial–are
brewing.

The seas are rougher, the stakes are higher and the intensity
has never been stronger as the original, ultimate tough guys of
television return in Discovery Channels Emmy-winning DEADLIEST
CATCH for an all new season Tuesday, April 14, at 9 PM ET/PT.

“If it ain’t HELL, they ain’t happy!”

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'Deadliest Catch' reels in crowd with high-seas danger, drama
Joshua Aromin
Issue date: 4/24/09



04/24/09 - It's springtime and this week the rain has been relentless, but compared to the conditions faced on the Discovery Channel's hit TV show, "The Deadliest Catch," we're living in paradise.

Sitting in the comfort of my room, I watch the cold and wet misery that the different crab-fishing crews face every day. Though I've seen enough episodes of the show to already get a pretty good idea of the rough, unforgiving seas, the inhospitable waves and freezing temperatures never get old.

And while I sat, interested in watching a cold hell that I could never dream of working in, I realized that the Bering Sea is just another workplace and that crab fishing is just another job. In addition to accepting the nasty conditions, the fishermen must also come to terms with the unending threats of injury, death and never coming home again.

While the ominous cloud of jeopardy always looms, just into its second episode of its fifth season, the show focused on life-or-death danger again when, on two occasions, the crews came to realize that imminent risk.

First, Keith Colburn, captain of the featured crab-fishing vessel "The Wizard," hit his head on the bottom of the ship while trying to make a repair without heading back to port. The hit led to a grisly wound and a scary moment for Colburn and the rest of The Wizard crew.

Later in the episode, a cod-fishing boat sank, sending its crew into the frigid Alaskan waters. The episode switched perspectives, from following the crab-fishing boats to concentrating on the rescue efforts of the coast guard. The episode ended with the helicopter crew bringing up one of the fisherman's dead bodies.

"The Deadliest Catch" seems to have the same sort of things happening every week: heavy storms, bickering greenhorns, engine troubles and obviously crab fishing. But even with similar episodes every week, the rapture of watching men battling the sea remains the main draw of the show.

Ultimately, the seamen make the show. In addition to Colburn, Capt. Sig Hansen, Phil Harris, John Hillstrand and Andy Hillstrand push their crews past their limits while feeding their excessive coffee and cigarette addictions.

In previous seasons there have been other featured boats, but the current fleet is the most compelling. Harris, of the Cornelia Marie, is battling blood clots and must choose whether to fish or face possible death. Hansen and his brother Edgar, known for their fish-head-biting ritual, continue to run the Northwestern. The Hillstrands, along with John's son Scotty, must face the prospect of laying off one of their fishermen at the end of the season. Colburn faces even more pressure as his wife informs him that their bank account is at zero.

The show relies on the destructive nature of the Bering Sea, but at the same time, the fishermen are still human.

They bring an unparalleled element of character to the blue-collar reality TV genre that separates them from other shows like the History Channel shows "Ax Men" and "Ice Road Truckers."

Though crab-fishing is something I would never consider as a future career path, "The Deadliest Catch" makes the process of bringing crabs from the sea to on-land restaurants a lot more fascinating.

Original Article

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Press Release
Date: June 23, 2009
Source: District 11

'Deadliest Catch' captain
visits Sector San Diego



SAN DIEGO — AST3 Scott Mochkatel above left, a rescue swimmer stationed at Coast Guard Sector San Diego, helps Sig Hansen, a fishing vessel captain from the television program "Deadliest Catch," don a flight helmet June 8, in preparation for a helicopter flight. 

AN Jonathan Kreske and Lt. Joshua Nelson above right, stationed at Coast Guard Sector San Diego, and Sig Hansen, a fishing vessel captain from the television program "Deadliest Catch," listen as Lt. Cmdr. Kendall Garran, also stationed at Sector, gives a preflight briefing June 8.

Hansen was given the opportunity to view search and rescue demonstrations from the flight crew's perspective for a Coast Guard segment of "After the Catch" that aired June 23. (U.S. Coast Guard photo/PA3 Henry G. Dunphy)
 
Press Release

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July 2009

Deadliest Catch Skipper Joins
Coast Guard to Promote Safety


                  VIEW VIDEO

WASHINGTON, DC — Discovery Channel's Keith Colburn, captain of the F/V Wizard on cable's number one series DEADLIEST CATCH, is joining with the U.S. Coast Guard's Boating Safety Division this summer to promote life jacket wear and recreational boating safety on the nation's waterways. As official spokesperson for the Coast Guard's "Boat Responsibly" initiative, Colburn will be appearing in a series of Public Service Announcements as well as promotional activities across the country.

"We're extremely pleased to have Captain Colburn and the Discovery Channel lending their support to this important safety campaign," said Rear Admiral James A. Watson, U.S. Coast Guard Director of Prevention Policy. "Keith is an experienced and well-respected seaman who puts a premium on safety for his boat and crew. We look forward to working with him throughout the summer."

"In producing DEADLIEST CATCH, Discovery Channel works closely with the Coast Guard, seeing firsthand the critical assistance they provide fisherman throughout the crabbing season on the Bearing Sea. We are proud to see Keith take a leadership role in this important issue," said John Ford, President and General Manager, Discovery Channel.

The U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety Division is asking all boat owners and operators to help reduce fatalities, injuries, and property damage by taking personal responsibility for their own safety and the safety of their passengers. The U. S. Coast Guard reminds all boaters to "Boat Responsibly!" For more information and tips on boating safety, go to www.USCGboating.org.

Original article

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Press Release
Date: July 21, 2009
District 13 Public Affairs

Coast Guard releases Keith Colburn's
Public Service Announcements



In the video above released by the Coast Guard, Keith Colburn, of the Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch and captain of the fishing vessel Wizard, homported in Seattle reminds recreational boaters to have all required safety equipment onboard when out on the water. (Coast Guard video)



In the video above released by the Coast Guard, Keith Colburn, of the Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch and captain of the fishing vessel Wizard, homported in Seattle reminds recreational boaters along with his son's help to always wear a life jacket while out on the water. (Coast Guard video)



In the video above released by the Coast Guard, Keith Colburn, of the Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch and captain of the fishing vessel Wizard, homported in Seattle reminds recreational boaters to avoid alcohol and drugs while out on the water. (Coast Guard video)

WASHINGTON, DC — The Discovery Channel’s Keith Colburn, captain of the F/V Wizard on cable’s number one series "The Deadliest Catch," is joining with the Coast Guard Boating Safety Division this summer to promote life jacket wear and recreational boating safety on the nation’s waterways.  

As an official spokesperson for the Coast Guard’s “Boat Responsibly” initiative, Colburn will be appearing in a series of public service announcements as well as promotional activities across the country.

“We’re extremely pleased to have Captain Colburn and the Discovery Channel lending their support to this important safety campaign,” said Rear Adm. James A. Watson, Coast Guard Director of Prevention Policy.  “Keith is an experienced and well-respected seaman who puts a premium on safety for his boat and crew.  We look forward to working with him throughout the summer.”

“In producing "The Deadliest Catch," Discovery Channel works closely with the Coast Guard, seeing first-hand the critical assistance they provide fisherman through the crabbing seasons on the Bearing Sea.  We are proud to see Keith take a leadership role in this important issue,” said John Ford, President and General Manager, Discovery Channel.

The Coast Guard Boating Safety Division is asking all boat owners and operators to help reduce fatalities, injuries and property damage by taking personal responsibility for their own safety and the safety of their passengers.  The Coast Guard reminds all boaters to “Boat Responsibly!”  

For more information and tips on boating safety, go to www.USCGboating.org.

Press Release

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Season 2009 of the Deadliest Catch pays tribute to the lost crew of the fishing vessel  KATMAI .  Although KATMAI was fishing for Cod and not really part of the Discovery Channel show, it was only fitting that the show and the crab boat fisherman out of respect for the families of the seven crew who perished in the tragedy be remembered by their shipmates who survived.

 

Deadliest Catch 2009 Season Episode 3 Katmai Tribute Part 1       Deadliest Catch 2009 Season Episode 3 Katmai Tribute Part 2
 




Fishing vessel Courageous (former CGC TUPELO) recovers two       Deadliest Catch 2009 Season Episode 3 Katmai Tribute Part 3
bodies of the dead crew 
 

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Sometimes when you post Coast Guard SAR missions like I do everyday you may overlook something that was really spectacular in the way of rescues.  I was reminded of this last night when I was viewing my annual Christmas present of last season's Deadliest Catch (Season 5).  The fall 2008 King Crab season was tough with the loss of the KATMAI and seven crewmembers.  The 2009 Opie season was unbelievable.  It is amazing that nobody was killed as it has to be one of the most dangerous Opilio crab seasons anybody has ever seen.  Whatever could go wrong seemed to go wrong.  The weather was absolutely horrific, ice flows, mechanical breakdowns, personal tragedies and more.  But what really hit me was how extremely dangerous the rescue of the four fisherman from the fishing vessel Icy Mist really was in category 3 hurricane winds off Akutan Island around 4:30 a.m. on Feb. 25, 2009 by a USCG air crew from CGAIRSTA Kodiak led by Lt. Cmdr. Scott Jackson was.

To Commander Jackson and his crew ......

INCREDIBLE JOB GENTLEMEN ... YOU MAKE US PROUD TO BE COASTIES!  

Here's how the rescue proceeded:  

Even with night-vision goggles, Lt. Cmdr. Scott Jackson could hardly see a thing as his Jayhawk helicopter hurtled through the darkness, on the way to rescue four stranded fishermen.

The U.S. Coast Guardsman had been dispatched on the sortie at about 5 a.m. Wednesday to hunt for the commercial fishing crew that ran their vessel aground in the Aleutians after the vessel's engine room began taking on water.

The crewmen from the 58-foot Kodiak-based Icy Mist were stuck on Akutan, 766 miles southwest of Anchorage and about 40 miles east of Dutch Harbor. They would ultimately be picked up by helicopter, but only after two attempts by different choppers that might have ended in disaster prompted them to abandon ship by shimmying down a crab pot cable.
 
But first, Jackson had to navigate his MH-60 Jayhawk the roughly 265 miles from St. Paul Island to the site through heavy, blowing snow and winds blasting at nearly 100 mph.

 

"The aircraft was literally flying sideways to the target, because the winds were horrific," Jackson said. "It was probably one of most turbulent flights I've had, and I've been flying for 16 years."

The mayday call came in to the Coast Guard at 4:38 a.m., relayed first through the vessel Arctic Fox and then the Northern Glacier because of limited communications in the area.

 The Icy Mist was taking on water near Akutan, prompting its crew to intentionally run the vessel aground.
 
"They'd rather have it on the rocks and maybe save it than it just sink and be gone," Petty Officer Richard Brahm said.  A Coast Guard cutter and helicopters from across the region converged: an HH-65 Dolphin from Dutch Harbor, two Jayhawks from St. Paul Island and the cutter Munro, on patrol in the Bering Sea, were all dispatched to the area.
 
The first to arrive was the Dolphin, which buzzed in at about 6:45 a.m., said Petty Officer Jon-Paul Rios from the command center in Juneau.  With the fishing crew still on the vessel, the chopper positioned itself a few hundred feet overhead and crept next to a cliff hoping to drop a rescue basket, Jackson said. But a burst of wind slammed into it and the helicopter plunged.
 
"The downdrafts and turbulence coming off the side of this mountain ... made them lose 100 feet of altitude in less than a second," Jackson said.  The Dolphin headed back to Dutch Harbor empty-handed. But at about 9:30 a.m., the two Jayhawks, including Jackson's, arrived. Conditions were slightly better there than on the way, but winds were still blowing at about 50 knots, he said.

Jackson also positioned his aircraft about 200 feet overhead to try dropping his basket. He didn't have much more luck than the Dolphin.
 
"Same thing happened with us," Jackson said. "Tail rotor kicked out, the aircraft kind of yawed, and then we dropped 100 feet and I pulled (with) everything the engines gave."

It wasn't going to work. The men needed to get off the boat, said Lt. Brad Anderson, operations officer aboard the Munro, which arrived at about 11 a.m.

 

"As such, the crew lowered a crab pot into the water off the stern of the vessel and they were able to get to the shore by lowering themselves down the line onto the crab pot," said Anderson, reached by satellite phone north of Dutch Harbor Wednesday afternoon. "By and large they shimmied down to one of their own crab pots and walked right up onto the shore."

The crew made its way up a hill, where Jackson's Jayhawk had a more clear shot at scooping them up.
 
But the winds were still whipping, causing the basket to trail behind the helicopter, he said. The crew weighted it down, to some effect, and was able to start loading the men at about 11 a.m. Twenty-two minutes later, the four men were aboard and on their way to Dutch Harbor, where they were examined but did not report any injuries.

The crew was identified as Dan Oliver, 45; Clint Packer, 43; Kevin Fisner, 36; and Terry Meyer, 29.
  
Outstanding Article from the Bristol Bay Times
Original USCG Press Release usmilnet Post

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Press Release
Date: January 15, 2010
District 17 Public Affairs

U.S. Coast Guard, state agencies keep
vigilant eye on 2010 Bering Sea crab fleet


A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter above left from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak is pictured flying over the fishing vessel Bering Star Oct. 20, 2008, in the Bering Sea during the red king crab season. The crew of the Jayhawk was patrolling in support of operation "Arctic Safeguard", which enhances the Coast Guard's search and rescue and law enforcement posture in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands during the fall fishing season. (Photo by AMT3 Blaize Potts, USCG Air Station Kodiak).  In the photo above right Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Darryl Harvey, a marine science technician, conducted a regular safety exam on the fishing vessel Major in St. Paul Harbor on Kodiak Island Jan. 13, 2010. Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Kodiak conducts regular safety exams and safety spot checks for fishing vessels year round. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jonathan Lally.

VIDEO

JUNEAU, Alaska — Coast Guard helicopter crews from Kodiak are deploying to the Bering Sea to safeguard the crab fleet and other fishing vessels engaged in ground fisheries throughout the winter months.

With an increased number of vessels operating in the region, the Coast Guard will again forward deploy two MH-60 Jayhawk rescue helicopter crews Saturday from Air Station Kodiak to St. Paul to provide a more rapid response should the need arise.

By forward deploying aircraft to St. Paul, Coast Guard aircrews eliminate a six hour transit from Kodiak plus an hour refueling stop from the time of initial response to any distressed mariners, critical hours in most situations.  Winter is the busiest time of year for fishing activity in the Bering Sea under some of the worst weather conditions.

An Alaska-based cutter will be on patrol in the region ready to respond during the Bering Sea fisheries as well.

From October through March, the Coast Guard hosts bi-monthly teleconferences through which enforcement, safety and management reps from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the Alaska Wildlife Troopers can exchange information and assist each other with logistical and operational challenges.

Currently there are a number of longliners on the northern portion of the 100 fathom curve pursuing Pacific Cod and Greenland Turbot.  There are also numerous pot boats harvesting Pacific cod near Slime Bank. Some of these boats will change their target species to Opilio crab.

According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game 92 vessels are registered for the Opilio crab fishery. Of those, 35 vessels have checked in with the Coast Guard and verified plans to fish.

Opilio crab season has been open since Oct. 15, 2009, however most boats still fish for Opilio crab in January. This is due in part to shore side processors schedules for products and the fall push for Bering Sea Red King crab.

The Marine Safety Detachments in Kodiak and Unalaska conducted safety training with the crab fleets in the fall and did the majority of the voluntary fishing vessel safety exams then. Over the past month examiners have conducted another 10 fishing vessel safety exams and six safety spot checks.

Expired safety equipment, expired EPIRB batteries and expired liferaft hydrostatic releases are the most common discrepancies found during Coast Guard safety checks. All deficiencies are confirmed corrected prior to the vessels getting underway. The Coast Guard reminds all mariners to carry EPIRBs and ensure they are registered correctly.

While examiners still look at vessel stability books and ensure pots are stacked within the guidelines laid out in those books, it has been about five years since examiners found a vessel to be overloading themselves with crab pots.

The Marine Safety Detachment in Kodiak is also conducting exams and spot checks on some of the 48 fishing vessels registered with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game for the Tanner crab fishery. Marine Safety Detachment Unalaska is conducting exams on fishing vessels participating in the Pollock "A" season which opens Jan. 20. They are also conducting annual exams on the fleet that subscribes to the Alternate Safety Compliance Agreement.
 
Press Release

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JAKE ANDERSON'S DAD KEITH IS
MISSING - YOUR HELP IS NEEDED!

                                 

If you are reading this and live in the Everett, Washinton area your help is needed. 
Keith Anderson has been missing since January 6th. He was last seen around Lake
Stevens, Snohomish are in a white Ford Ranger with a white canopy license plate
B08111F. If you have seen him or the truck please call 911.

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Keith Anderson's truck found; search continues    
By Art Shotwell     
January 23, 2010 



The truck owned by 62-year old retired high school counselor Keith Anderson, who has missing since January 6, was discovered overnight in a remote area of Skagit County, according to a statement Saturday morning by Anacortes Police Chief Bonnie Bowers.

Bowers also said Anacortes Police detectives, Skagit County Sheriff's deputies and Search & Rescue volunteers are on scene this morning searching for Anderson in an area northeast of Darrington.

His vehicle was discovered on a remote logging road, according to Bowers, who added, "Nothing in the vehicle suggested that foul play was involved."

A detective from Anacortes spent part of the past week in Snohomish County following connections Anderson may have had down there, including trying to locate a person that Anderson had expected to meet with the day he disappeared.

Anderson was a counselor at Anacortes High School until he retired in June, 2008. Reports of his disappearance prompted dozens of comments on AnacortesNow.com from friends, family and admirers.

According to the original Police Department missing person report, he left his home without his cell phone or prescribed medications. Anderson has a history of depression and medical problems, police said.

Brian Geer, local head of the Red Cross, had organized a one-day grass-roots search last Saturday, Jan. 16, which failed to turn up any clues. But, the 4 dozen or so people did place missing person flyers in local businesses in the northern Snohomish and eastern Skagit county areas.

Original Article
 

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TV's "Deadliest Catch" captain Phil Harris dies
Wed Feb 10, 1:21 pm ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) — Tough fishing boat captain Phil Harris, whose brave exploits in the wild waters off the Alaskan coast were captured on the popular television show "Deadliest Catch," has died, family members said. He was 53.

Harris suffered a stroke in late January while in port at St. Paul Island, Alaska, off-loading the fishing vessel he ran, the Cornelia Marie. He was taken to an Anchorage hospital for treatment, and his sons and the Discovery Channel, which aired the show, said late on Tuesday he had died.

"Dad has always been a fighter and continued to be until the end," his sons Josh and Jake Harris, who were deckhands on the boat, said a statement. "For us and the crew, he was someone who never backed down. We will remember and celebrate that strength."

Harris and other captains have gained admiration on "Deadliest Catch," which airs in 170 countries, displaying their prowess in catching king and Opilio crab in dangerous currents and icy conditions in the Bering Sea between Alaska and Russia.


Phil Harris (middle) with his sons Jake on the left and Josh on the right and their fishing vessel the Cornelia Marie.

The tattooed Harris was one of the most vocal captains on the TV series, which began in 2005, risking his life for commercial fishing. Alaska is home to one of the world's largest food fisheries.

"He was more than someone on our television screen. Phil was a devoted father and loyal friend to all who knew him. We will miss his straightforward honesty, wicked sense of humor and enormous heart," the Discovery Channel said in a statement.

"We share our tremendous sadness over this loss with the millions of viewers who followed Phil's every move."

While being treated Harris was improving enough to display some of his trademark bluntness, according to a February 3 posting by his sons on the Discovery Channel's website, telling doctors and nurses not to make mistakes in his attempted recovery.

Harris was in the fishing industry for 33 years and for the past 19 years was captain of the Cornelia crew. He told Reuters in an interview in July last year that fishermen were not to blame in the debate over declining fish populations.

"When things go wrong, the fishermen get blamed, but the truth is we are only fishing what they tell us we can fish," Harris said, referring to the quotas that Alaskan crab fisherman like him are given at the beginning of each season setting limits to how much they can catch.

Original Article

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Remembering 'Deadliest Catch' Captain Phil Harris
by Mandi Bierly
Categories: In Memoriam, Television



Phil Harris, known to fans of Discovery’s Deadliest Catch as captain of the crab fishing vessel Cornelia Marie, has passed away. He suffered a stroke late last month while in port off-loading at St. Paul Island in Alaska, where his sons, Jake and Josh, remained by their father’s side. Phil was great because he was exactly what we thought a captain would be: Frequently swearing, chain-smoking, and stressing; a teller of tales with a fondness for pranks; a gruff man who’d choose to stay with his ship even when his doctors said it was dangerous; and a softie who’d turn almost poetic when he reflected on the only job he’d ever known.

In a statement, the boys remembered their father’s strong will. “Dad has always been a fighter and continued to be until the end. For us and the crew, he was someone who never backed down. We will remember and celebrate his strength.” Discovery also paid tribute: “We will miss his straightforward honesty, wicked sense of humor and enormous heart. We share our tremendous sadness over this loss with the millions of viewers who followed Phil’s every move.”



How will you choose to remember Captain Phil? Discovery has put together a collection of “Captain Phil Moments.” For me, it’s too much to think of the dramatic moments now. (My mind keeps going to the episode in which the member of the Northwestern crew received the call at sea about this sister’s passing, and it hurts to think of all the men Phil fought wind and ice with getting the news.) So I’ll think of him sitting in his captain’s chair, then standing on deck, selling his “fart bubbles” fishing theory with a straight face:

Original Article

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Deadliest Catch' Crew Member Found Dead in Motel
'Deadliest Catch' crew member found dead
in Alaska motel room; cause of death unknown
By RACHEL D'ORO Associated Press
ANCHORAGE, Alaska February 23, 2011 (AP)


Time Bandit crewman Justin Tennison

ANCHORAGE - A member of the hit cable TV show "Deadliest Catch" fishing crew has been found dead in an Alaska motel room, police said Wednesday.

Justin Tennison, who worked on the Time Bandit, one of the vessels on the popular Discovery Channel reality series that depicts the crab fishing industry in the dangerous waters off Alaska, was found dead Tuesday afternoon in Homer, authorities said.

Beer, hard liquor and a small amount of marijuana were found in the room, Homer police Lt. Randy Rosencrans said. Police believe a party was held in the room on Monday night — two rooms were registered under Tennison's name and nearby guests complained about the noise.

The 33-year-old Tennison is set to make a posthumous debut in the series' seventh season, which is scheduled to begin in April, Discovery spokesman Josh Weinberg said.

"Justin was tough as a bull and was an all-around good hand," a statement posted on the Time Bandit's official website said.

Weinberg also released a statement, saying Discovery was saddened by the news.

"We send our sympathies to his entire family and fellow crew members during this most difficult time," the statement said.

TMZ previously reported that Tennison had died.

The cause of death was unknown Wednesday afternoon and foul play isn't suspected, Rosencrans said. An autopsy by the state medical examiner's office was scheduled to take place later Wednesday.

The death comes a little more than year after Capt. Phil Harris of the "Deadliest Catch" fishing vessel Cornelia Marie died following a massive stroke at age 53.

Original Article