The Truth About Phil Harris's Death on Deadliest Catch

But if you've only heard the headlines or vague internet theories, here's what actually happened.

Phil Harris, captain of the F/V Cornelia Marie, died on February 9, 2010, at just 53 years old. He had starred on Deadliest Catch from Season 2 through Season 6, and was still filming when everything unraveled.

What made his death hit harder for fans was how it all played out on camera — not just the tragedy, but the false hope that maybe, somehow, he'd pull through.

Here's what happened, according to the timeline:

• January 29, 2010: Harris was found collapsed on the floor of his room.
  • According to his son Josh, "The whole left side of his face was in paralysis… he couldn't move his arms or anything."
• He was medevaced to a hospital in Anchorage and put in a medically induced coma for two days.
• Doctors were shocked at how fast he began improving once he woke up.
• February 9, 2010: After completing physical therapy earlier that same day — walking, talking, seemingly recovering — Harris told his best friend, "Danny, I don't feel as good as I did yesterday." Hours later, he died from an intracranial hemorrhage (a brain bleed). He was surrounded by family and close friends.

His stroke was first shown in Season 6, Episode 10, and his final appearance came in Episode 14, titled "Redemption Day."

Harris had insisted that the cameras keep rolling, even as his health declined. It gave Deadliest Catch one of its most gut-wrenching arcs — raw, public, and unforgettable.

And this wasn't Harris's first brush with death. Back in 2008, during Season 4, he was violently thrown from his bunk and began coughing up blood. After resisting medical attention (classic crab boat logic), he was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism, a potentially fatal blood clot in the lungs. He spent nearly a year recovering, and doctors told him he was lucky to be alive.

So when Season 6 rolled around, Harris was already pushing through chronic pain — fishing with "four crushed discs" in his back, according to his son.

The stroke wasn't some out-of-nowhere shock; it was the inevitable crash after years of ignoring what his body had been screaming at him.

In the end, Harris didn't die off-screen or vanish quietly. His collapse, recovery, and final moments were all right there on the show, stitched into a narrative that Deadliest Catch never quite moved past.

Season 21 premieres Friday, August 1, 8/7c on Discovery.