NEED TO KNOW
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Sig Hansen reflects on the death of 25-year-old Seaman Todd Meadows and the time he recently spent with him before his passing.
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Meadows fell overboard while working on a fishing vessel. «"Aleutian Lady".
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Hansen also discusses the growing dangers of being a crabber, rumors of retirement, and why he's not ready to leave the wheelhouse anytime soon.
The death of Seaman Todd Meadows continues to be deeply felt by the community. participants of the TV show "Deadliest Catch"« .
Speaking to PEOPLE about the latest season of the Discovery series, longtime captain Sig Hansen reflected on the loss of a 25-year-old fisherman who died in February while working aboard the vessel. Aleutian Lady .
«"It happened suddenly," Hansen says. "I know the Coast Guard is still investigating, so there's still speculation about what happened and why.".
The experienced captain said he spent some time with Meadows shortly before his death.
«"I was with him and my team before one of our trips," Hansen recalls. "He was there with the guys with..."» "Aleutian Lady"» . We played pool, and he seemed like a very friendly person. He was very proud of his two children.".
Todd Meadows. Photo: Captain Rick Shelford/Instagram
The tragedy also brought back memories for Hansen of Captain Rick Shelford, who worked alongside Meadows on board the vessel.« "The Aleutian Lady"» .
«"I immediately felt sorry for Captain Rick," Hansen says. "I didn't even dare contact him because I knew he was in terrible pain. There's family up there, and that's very difficult to deal with.".
Shelford announced Meadows' death in a Facebook obituary on March 2. In his post, the captain remembered the young fisherman as a man whose "love of fishing and hard work immediately earned everyone's respect.".
«"Todd's love for his children, his family, and his life was evident in everything he did," Shelford wrote at the time.
A Discovery spokesperson later said the network was "deeply saddened" by the loss, calling it a "horrible" tragedy for Meadows' loved ones, his fellow crew members, and the entire fishing community.
As viewers watch the new season unfold, Discovery has confirmed that Meadows' death will not be depicted on screen, a decision Hansen supports. "The story will be told respectfully," he says. "I don't think they'll do anything that would hurt anyone.".
«"If they're not going to show anything like that, then, with respect, I think that's the right decision," he adds. "It's already difficult enough.".
While the season was marred by tragedy, it also saw one of the most dangerous fishing periods in the fleet's history, with crews traveling further north than ever before in pursuit of crab.
«"The further north you go, the further you are from shore and safety. Sometimes you're so far away that the Coast Guard can't even come and pick you up," says Hansen, when asked if the increased distance changed the experience of the trip.
Sig Hansen. Photo: Discovery.
«"If the weather suddenly turns bad or there's a technical issue, you'll be left alone with your problem," he continues. "Believe me, it's a very scary feeling.".
Hansen knows this firsthand. "A few years ago, our line got tangled in the propeller, and we drifted for a day or two while everyone else continued fishing," he recalls. "We had to wait for another boat to finish the season and tow us out. Quite a humiliating experience.".
He also recalls another captain who spent nearly two weeks trapped in ice. "No one could reach him," Hansen says. "Sometimes greed can get you down.".
«"If you talked to 28-year-old Sig, I might be one of those guys," he adds. "But now? That's not going to happen.".
More than two decades after the show's premiere «Deadliest Catch» Hansen says age and experience have changed his view of risk.
«"I have nothing left to prove. And my fear of death is changing, too. I don't want to put myself in so much danger," he says. "In fact, as I get older, I'm becoming more afraid. It's true.".
For Hansen, success is no longer measured solely by the size of the catch.
«"First of all, everyone needs to come back safe and sound," he says. "That's priority number one.".
Still, his competitive spirit remains. "But a successful season still means catching crabs faster than everyone else and beating the competition," Hansen laughs. "That's always fun. I can't hide the truth.".
The seasoned captain admits that the rivalry depicted on the show hasn't disappeared. "Absolutely," he says. "Everyone wants to win. Your boat becomes its own little team, and you're playing against the next one.".
This season, Hansen has teamed up with other captains, including Bill Wichrowski, Keith Colburn and Johnathan Hillstrand, though he jokes that long-standing rivalries don't disappear overnight.
«"After all these decades of working with these guys, the competition still remains, and frankly, we still don't trust each other," he says. "They all say the same thing.".
«"Jonathan's a great guy, but he can still lie, and I'll lie back," Hansen continues. "It's in our DNA. I don't lie to my wife. I don't lie to my kids. But I sure as hell lie to fishermen. That's when I'm on the job.".
Despite health problems and ongoing rumors of retirement after suffering heart attacks, Hansen insists he's not ready to leave the cockpit. "I hear those rumors all the time myself. The more I hear them, the more I want to rebel and not do it," he says. "I don't see any point in retiring anytime soon.".
Hansen admits that pride is partly behind the decision. "I think there's a little bit of ego involved," he says. "And I don't want anyone to dethrone me just yet.".
Although he and his wife have begun working on a tourism center project in Norway, Hansen says he can't imagine leaving the industry entirely. "Even if someone else were steering the boat, your mind would still be active," he says. "You're thinking about the weather, about where they are. You can never turn it off... I don't think I'd respect myself if I could just walk away from it completely.".
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Deadliest Catch program Airs Tuesdays at 8:00 PM ET on Discovery Channel and is available to watch on HBO Max.
Read the original article on People.