The cast and crew of Deadliest Catch were rocked late last month when deckhand Todd Meadows died while filming the newest season. Now, his family is speaking out about his tragic passing.
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Speaking with TMZ, his mom, Angela Meadows, hopes Discovery is respectful to the family and to their late son. She doesn't want the network to air any footage of the accident on the Deadliest Catch. She also doesn't want to see the accident.
But she would like to have footage of Toddd crabbing because that's what he loved.
She said, "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."
'Deadliest Catch' Deckhand Dies
Meanwhile, Todd's sister, Mackenzie, says the family is at a loss.
"No words put together can even describe the pain we're going through and will continue to," Us Weekly reported. "His boys will see him through pictures, and we will see him through his boys."
The Deadliest Catch deckhand's father Lucas, also described him as someone who always had a smile. Todd had loved fishing since he was a toddler.
"He had a smile on his face the whole time," Lucas said. "Good day, bad day, didn't matter... He loved to fish and loved to watch other people fish."
Currently, the Coast Guard is investigating the cause of Meadows's passing. "As the nation's leading marine safety organization, the Coast Guard investigates marine casualties and accidents to uncover their causes and initiate necessary corrective actions," the statement read.
Todd's captain, Rick Shelford, mourned the loss of the deckhand in an emotionally charged tribute to him.
"His love for fishing and his strong work ethic earned everyone's respect right away. His smile was contagious, and the sound of his laughter coming up the wheelhouse stairs or over the deck hailer is something we will carry with us always," Shelford shared.
He also added, "Todd's love for his children, his family and his life was evident in everything he did. He worked hard, loved deeply and brought joy to those around him."
