Captain Phil of ‘Deadliest Catch’ dies at 53

Captain Phil Harris of the Discovery Channel TV show Deadliest Catch died last night, reports the cable channel. “Dad has always been a fighter and continued to be until the end,” said his sons, Jake and Josh Harris. “For us and the crew, he was someone who never backed down. We will remember and celebrate that strength. Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and prayers.”

Captain Phil suffered a stroke while off-loading from the Cornelia Marie in Alaska on January 30th. His death came as a surprise to many — last Saturday, he was “talking to friends and family today; showing his greatest progress,” reported a blog post on the ship’s website.

The Discovery Channel has set up a forum where you can post condolences to the family, and they posted a video of some of his greatest moments on the show.

Captain Phil began working on fishing boats at age 7, and when he turned 21, he ran a vessel out of Fishermen’s Terminal, making him one of the youngest to captain a boat in the Bering Sea. Ballard has long been a hangout for Deadliest Catch captains and crew, and Captain Phil has appeared at several local events over the years. You can learn more about his life and legacy on his website.

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8 thoughts to “Captain Phil of ‘Deadliest Catch’ dies at 53”

  1. Saw this from one of the condolences and thought it to be fitting: The fishermans prayer God grant that I may live to fish, until my dying day, And when it comes to my last cast, I then most humbly pray, When in the Lord's safe landing net, I'm peacefully asleep, That in his mercy I be judged, As big enough to keep.

  2. Oh that is so sad. I only saw this show once years ago but even in just one show it was obvious how close his sons were to him. My heart goes out to his family.

  3. My husband and I were/are great fans of “Deadliest Catch.” We are shocked and saddened to hear of Captain Phil's passing, and wish to offer our deepest condolences to his family. We will always remember him as a man who did more living in his short 53 years than many could do in 153 years. His candle went out, but his memory will live on.
    God bless Captain Phil and his family.

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