The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating the death of a crabber who fell overboard near Dutch Harbor last week.
The Coast Guard said in a Wednesday statement that 25-year-old Todd Meadows of Washington State died after falling overboard on the fishing vessel Aleutian Lady, about 170 miles north of Unalaska. Meadows was unresponsive when the crew recovered him about 10 minutes later. They attempted to resuscitate him but were unsuccessful.
The Coast Guard received notice of the incident on Feb. 25, around 5 p.m. Meadows was transported back to Unalaska the next morning.
Alex Gonzalez-Carr was also fishing in the Bering Sea when he heard Meadows had gone overboard.
“Losing a friend at sea has been one of the hardest things [I’ve] had to deal with personally,” Gonzalez-Carr said.
He said he and Meadows spent every day together when they weren’t on the water. The two grew up in the small Western Washington town of Elma.
“We came to Alaska from our small town to chase our dreams and better our [lives],” he said. “He had a big heart and an even bigger smile.”
Gonzalez-Carr said his crew has been very supportive as he mourns the loss of his good friend. He said he plans to continue fishing not just for himself, but more importantly, for Meadows.
“Do it for Todd,” he said.
Meadows’ death has gained a lot of media attention. He had recently joined the cast of the popular television series “Deadliest Catch.”
Rick Shelford is the captain of the Aleutian Lady and also featured on the TV show. He said in a recent Facebook post that the day they lost Meadows was “the most tragic day in the history of the Aleutian Lady on the Bering Sea.”
Meadows’ family has organized a GoFundMe campaign to help support his three children, funeral expenses and future financial burdens.
The Coast Guard’s investigation is a routine part of its duties to look into marine casualties and to take appropriate steps in any corrective actions.
“This is a tragic reminder of the dangers fishermen face daily. We are committed to a thorough investigation to understand what happened and to help prevent future tragedies at sea,” said Captain Christopher Culpepper, commander of Coast Guard Sector Western Alaska and U.S. Arctic.
