Deadliest Catch star Todd Meadows was forced to take medical leave a month before his shocking death after suffering a blow to the head while working on the Aleutian Islands Lady.
The fisherman was examined by a doctor as required by work regulations and was found to have suffered a concussion, his mother Angela told TMZ on Wednesday.
He then flew back to Washington and recuperated at home with his family. That week was the last time his family saw him alive.
“The last picture I took of him was of him building a fire. At that moment he was listening to music and seemed very happy. That’s how I want to remember him,” Angela told the magazine.
Todd died on February 25 while filming a Discovery Channel television series while working on a series about fishermen in the Aleutian Islands. He passed away at the age of 25.
On Tuesday, Page Six confirmed the reality star died after falling overboard about 170 miles north of Dutch Harbor, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Todd remained unresponsive after his body was discovered, although he was pulled from the water by crew members just 10 minutes later.
Crew members administered first aid and attempted resuscitation, but were unsuccessful.
A U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson said the incident is currently under investigation, but that this is standard procedure for all marine casualties and casualties.
Captain Rick Shelford first announced the deckhand’s death in a heartbreaking Facebook post over the weekend, calling it “the most tragic day in the history of the Lady of the Aleutian Islands in the Bering Sea.”
Shortly after Todd’s death, a GoFundMe was set up by his friends and family to support the late star’s three sons.
“We are heartbroken by the sudden passing of our beloved 25-year-old father, son, brother, and friend, Todd Morgan Meadows. He left us far too soon, doing what he loved: crabbing in Alaskan waters,” the campaign’s description reads.
“He was a determined father to three amazing little boys who were his whole world. Everything he did was for them: their smiles, their future and the memories they will continue to have.”
