'Deadliest Catch' star Phil Harris posing with his arms crossed

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‘Deadliest Catch’: Phil Harris Discussed Nearly Dying at Sea Before His Stroke

Before Captain Phil Harris of 'Deadliest Catch' fame died following a stroke, he had a near-death experience at sea. Here's what he said.

by Lauren Weiler

Published on August 29, 2023

2 min read

‘Deadliest Catch’ star Phil Harris almost died from an aneurysm years before his stroke

Deadliest Catch captains Phil Harris and Keith Colburn are two of the most well-known stars from the show. They spoke to WGN-TV about life as crab fishermen, which includes danger, distress, and friendly competition.

“You push yourself,” Harris shared with the interviewer in 2008. “Days turn into weeks. You push yourself to the most extreme that you can, that your body will take.”

The interviewer asked Harris and Colburn about the money involved in crab fishing. While the men admitted that they make a good amount, they also said it’s the furthest thing from their mind when they’re at sea. “You know, we don’t really think about the money,” Harris said. “That’s secondary. It’s catching crab; it’s competitive. It’s not a money thing. The money thing is something you think about after the fact.”

So, what’s at the forefront of a crab fisherman’s mind? They consider the dangers at sea. “That’s always on your mind,” Harris said. “We don’t dwell on it, but the fact is that you can die really, really easily out there. I had an experience this year. I had a pulmonary aneurysm on the boat and damn near died on the boat, and there was nothing we could do to get help. It was blowing too hard for the Coast Guard. We didn’t know it was an aneurysm at the time.”

Colburn noted that while the Coast Guard helps with emergencies, it’s all weather dependent. “When the weather gets too bad, even they’re grounded,” he stated. “So, they can’t do anything, and that’s what happened with Phil this year.”

Phil Harris died following complications from a stroke

Deadliest Catch star Phil Harris lived through his pulmonary aneurysm at sea. But he later died following complications from a stroke. Harris had a stroke in January 2010 while offloading crab at St. Paul Island, Alaska. At the time, he was flown to Anchorage, Alaska, for emergency surgery and entered an induced coma to reduce his brain’s blood pressure and swelling. Harris awoke from his coma and seemed to improve, but he died a month later from complications.

Dan Mittman, Harris’s best friend of over 35 years, spoke to People about Harris’s last days. Harris was receiving physical therapy when he told Mittman he felt unwell. “He said, ‘Danny, I don’t feel as good as I did yesterday,’” Mittman said. “They rolled about five doctors through there, and they said, ‘You can stay here,’ but I understood, though.” Harris died later that day.

Deadliest Catch Season 19 airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Discovery Channel.

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