The Deadliest Catch star has revealed how Todd Meadows died after falling into the frigid ocean in a 900-pound pot.
Deckhand Trey John Green III gave Page Six a detailed account of the events he claims occurred aboard the fishing vessel Aleutian Lady in the Bering Sea, about 170 miles north of Dutch Harbor, Alaska, late on the afternoon of February 25.
Although it was “just a degree or two below zero” that day, Green said the infamous sea water was actually “calm.”
Green said many of the ship’s crew members took turns entering pots – hard, baited traps used to catch shellfish – and sifting through crabs recovered from the sea.
Mr Green claimed he was still in one of the pots when his fellow deckhand Meadows, 25, went “over the rail” and back into the water, and claimed other crew members screamed when they saw what was happening.
“That’s one thing none of us really understand. We don’t know what happened,” Green, 30, explained.
“So that’s what Todd was doing. The pot was in the launcher and Todd was actually in the pot.”
Green said Meadows was “in the right place at the right time” and “doing exactly what he was supposed to do” when the accident occurred.
“We thought, ‘Oh my God, he’s going to go to the bottom. There’s no way we’re going to get this pot back up,'” Green recalled thinking, adding that she immediately ran to the back of the boat and climbed on top of the pot to see Meadows.
“Somehow, somehow, I don’t know, he’s been a fighter since he crawled out of that pot,” he marveled, noting that Meadows is “swimming” and “trying to hang in there.”
Mr Green said Mr Meadows was in the water for just “three to four minutes” before designated rescue swimmer Steve Porter returned his “lifeless” body to the boat. What followed in the next “30 minutes and 45 minutes” was a rescue attempt, as previously reported by Page Six.
The official cause of death has not yet been announced. Notably, Meadows’ mother, Angela Meadows, told TMZ that her son suffered a blow to the head while working on the Aleutian Lady about a month before his death. He suffered a concussion and spent a week recuperating at his home in Washington before returning to work. It is unclear whether that head injury played any role in his death.
As for Mr. Green, he explained that the crew had been about “12 hours away” from Dutch Harbor when they had exhausted all rescue efforts, including CPR and the use of a defibrillator. He said he then made the difficult decision to wrap Todd’s body in a tarp, put it in the freezer and return to town.
“Everyone did the best they could,” Green insisted, before admitting that none of the crew, including Todd, were wearing life jackets.
Green went on to claim that “everything” that happened on the boat that day was caught on camera by the Discovery Channel, which was in the final stages of filming Season 22 of the popular reality series “Deadliest Catch.”
Reached for comment, a representative for the network told Page Six: “This remains an ongoing investigation by the U.S. Coast Guard. We are assisting their efforts and cannot comment at this time.”
Meanwhile, a USCG representative said the USCG is “investigating the incident to determine the cause and provide the necessary feedback to prevent a similar incident from happening again.”
“Coast Guard investigators are currently working with a team of qualified marine accident investigators to compile evidence. Investigators will then prepare an official report and timeline of the incident to determine (1) causative or contributing factors, (2) evidence of foul play or negligence, (3) whether there was defective material, and (4) whether Coast Guard or other government agency personnel caused or participated in the cause of the incident.”
“This process is essential to drawing accurate conclusions and initiating the necessary corrective actions to prevent similar accidents and casualties from occurring in the future.”
“The results of the investigation will not be disclosed while the case is ongoing,” the official said, adding that the USCG “has not assigned a timeline for completing the investigation.”
