Nick Mavar, Star of 'Deadliest Catch' Reality Show, Passes Away at 59 Years Old

They don't call it Deadliest Catch for nothing. The long-running Discovery Channel series follows the harrowing careers of crab fishermen as they navigate turbulent fishing seasons in the Bering Sea. For over 20 seasons since 2005, the fishing fleet from the Aleutian Islands has faced some dangerous waters and put their lives on the line on a regular basis, all while having produced more than 300 episodes of reality television. As such, the crew has become accustomed to the dangers that come with their work.

That said, many of the current crew members have been on the show for several years. Despite the inherent dangers that this line of work presents, fishing experts like Captain Sig Hansen and Keith Colburn have taken these risks head on across multiple seasons.

Nick Mavar was another such fisherman who tackled the profession for more than a decade. However, he tragically passed away in 2024. What was his cause of death? Here's what we know so far about Nick Mavar's passing.

Nick Mavar first appeared on the show in 2005, having been introduced as a deckhand aboard the Northwestern fishing vessel. He stayed on the show for over 15 years across 92 episodes. He left the show in 2021, citing numerous health concerns.

On June 13, 2024, Nick Mavar reportedly passed away in Naknek, Alaska. Several sources state that he'd faced "a medical emergency" leading up to his death. However, no further details have emerged as of this writing.

However, Nick made his many health concerns public over the years since leaving Deadliest Catch. After his departure, he sued his employer F/V Northwester, LLC over an injury he sustained while aboard the ship. According to sources like USA Today, his company had been aware of the injury but failed to obtain medical care despite numerous complaints of discomfort.

The injury resulted in a "cancerous tumor" within his appendix.

His trial date is still set for April 2025, though Nick's passing may drastically alter the state of his case moving forward. He was also embroiled in a lawsuit with Deadliest Catch itself, with Nick having sued the production company for allegedly failing to provide appropriate medical care in the wake of Northewestern's COVID-19 protocols.

Yet despite his troubled history with both his ship and the show, Deadliest Catch stars have expressed their condolences in the wake of Nick's death. In a memorial post, the official Deadliest Catch X account tweeted, "Nick Mavar was a treasured member of the Deadliest Catch family and we extend our deepest condolences to all those who loved him."

In a public statement, Sig Hansen said, "I have known Nick Mavar for my entire fishing career. He has worked on our family boat for 25-plus years. He was more than a crew member. He was a very good friend and a right-hand man."

Our thoughts go out to Nick Mavar's loved ones during this difficult time.