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As we reported back in February, Todd Meadows — a cast member on the popular Discovery reality show Deadliest Catch — was killed during filming.
He was just 25 years old.
Now, the first footage of Meadows’ final days aboard the Aleutian Lady has been released.
The 25-year-old rookie fisherman appears in the Season 22 premiere of Deadliest Catch, speaking enthusiastically about working in Alaska after years of wanting the opportunity.
In footage obtained by TMZ, the deckhand openly acknowledged just how dangerous life at sea could be only days before his tragic death while filming the Discovery series.
Eager to hit the high seas in order to support his wife and three kids, Meadows made some heartbreaking comments about finally living out his dream.
“It’s gonna be fun,” Meadows says in the footage. “I’m just fortunate that I fell in love with it.”
That quote hits a whole lot differently now.
Meadows was killed after falling overboard while crabbing in the Bering Sea off the coast of Alaska.
Cameras were reportedly rolling at the time of the accident, though Discovery has already confirmed the footage will not air.
The tragedy marked one of the most devastating moments in the long history of the franchise.
According to accounts shared after the incident, Meadows became entangled while inside a massive crab pot and was pulled into the freezing water during operations aboard the Aleutian Lady.
Crew members desperately attempted to rescue him and performed CPR for an extended period of time after retrieving him from the ocean.
His official cause of death was later ruled drowning with probable hypothermia.
The Season 22 premiere reportedly opens with footage of Meadows reflecting on the magnitude of finally making it to Alaska for the job.
The episode also includes an emotional tribute card honoring Meadows following news of his death.
Friends, family members and fellow fishermen have continued mourning the young deckhand in the months since the accident. Captain Rick Shelford previously described Meadows as someone who “quickly became family” aboard the vessel.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Coast Guard continues investigating the fatal incident.
Deadliest Catch has always marketed itself around the brutal realities and dangers of commercial crabbing.
But for viewers watching Meadows smile excitedly about the adventure he was about to begin, the season premiere is likely going to feel far less like entertainment and far more like a heartbreaking goodbye.