'Deadliest Catch' Captain Dies

[WyldeMan45]

RIP Phil, you where always fun to watch....


Phil Harris, the fishing boat captain whose adventures off the Alaska coast were captured on the television show "Deadliest Catch", has died, the Discovery Channel said Tuesday night. He was 53.

Harris suffered what his family described as a massive stroke on Jan. 29 while the fishing vessel he captained, Cornelia Marie, was in port at St. Paul Island, Alaska. The fisherman was flown to Anchorage for surgery.

The reality show, which has filmed five seasons, has been one of the Discovery Channel's most popular and depicts the crab fishing industry in the dangerous waters off Alaska.

"It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to our dad - Captain Phil Harris. Dad has always been a fighter and continued to be until the end," sons Josh and Jake Harris said in a statement released by the network. "For us and the crew, he was someone who never backed down."

In a statement, Discovery Channel senior vice president Elizabeth Hillman says, "Phil was a devoted father and loyal friend to all who knew him."

"We will miss his straightforward honesty, wicked sense of humor and enormous heart," she said.

In an e-mail to The Associated Press, she said no additional information was immediately available Tuesday night.

Harris had seemed to be improving, and in a posting last Saturday on the ship's Web site, he was described as "talking to friends and family today; showing his greatest progress" since the stroke.

His sons wrote in a Feb. 3 posting that "No one ever said Captain Phil Harris wasn't tough. Today, dad showed some good signs of improvement, squeezing our hands and even summoning his trademark Captain's bluntness ... We are encouraged but still very cautious."

According to the ship's Web site, Harris started working on fishing boats at age 7 and started work 10 years later on a crab boat. When Harris turned 21, he ran a fishing vessel out of Seattle, making him one of the youngest to captain a vessel in the Bering Sea.

When Harris suffered the stroke, the family said a friend, Derek Ray, had flown to St. Paul to take over the role of relief skipper for the rest of the opilio crab season.

Harris' fishing vessel was based in Seattle.

[Dexter Morgan]

So sad, but I can't say I'm surprised to hear that. That dude was an absolute legend to the Alaskan fishing industry. R.I.P.

[upswiseass]

Terrible news. Not far-fetched considering the stress of his job and other aspects of his lifestyle, but it still sucks. R.I.P. Captain Phil, you will be missed.

[SellmeyourDVD]

That is very sad to hear

He was without a doubt one of my favorite people on "Deadliest Catch."

[pacificvibes]

Yeah, I read this last night and couldn't believe it, especially since he was showing good signs after his stroke. The sad thing was, he was very hard on his body; smokes, energy drinks and a very demanding job couldn't have helped the situation. Nonetheless, he seemed like a very caring father and a great captain. He will be missed among his fleet no doubt.

[detective392]

Looks like another cast member has died as Justin Tennison's body was discovered today.

http://www.digitalspy.com/ustv/news/...ound-dead.html

[Dexter Morgan]

Originally Posted by detective392

Looks like another cast member has died as Justin Tennison's body was discovered today.

http://www.digitalspy.com/ustv/news/...ound-dead.html

Yeah I read about that. The whole thing sounds a little mysterious. I don't ever remember seeing him on the show for some reason.

[Bodyslide]

Originally Posted by Dexter Morgan

Yeah I read about that. The whole thing sounds a little mysterious. I don't ever remember seeing him on the show for some reason.

He's only been on the past season....

[stevo]

What is going on up there!!! The show just aint the same without Capt. Phil R.I.P

[WyldeMan45]

RIP

[fatediesel]

I watched every episode of the last season and have no memory of that guy.