Mahlon Reyes, a deckhand featured on “Deadliest Catch,” has died. The Discovery Channel star was 38.
On July 25, Reyes suffered a heart attack. His wife spoke to TMZ about her husband’s passing. She says that he died in his hometown of Whitefish, Montana.
While Mahlon Reyes survived the heart attack last Saturday morning, he never regained consciousness. On Sunday, Reyes’ wife says the family decided to take him off life support. Reyes passed while surrounded by loved ones.
According to Reyes’ wife, his death comes as a complete shock. Furthermore, she mentions that he had no existing health conditions.
The family says that Mahlon was cremated. His “Deadliest Catch” crew plans to spread some of his ashes in the Bering Sea. Reyes leaves behind his wife and four children.
In recent weeks, Mahlon was in the process of recovering from a torn Achilles tendon. He sustained the injury while crabbing on a boat. He hoped to recover in order to travel to Alaska for another crab season.
Earlier this week, Mahlon’s castmate, Nick McGlashan, took to social media to remember the late fisherman. McGlashan posted a picture of the two of them smiling while aboard one of the ships. A number of fans offered condolences to McGlashan and Reyes’ family. “Nick, I’m so sorry for the loss of your friend,” one user writes. “May your memories help you through the rough days, weeks, months and years ahead.”
During his time on “Deadliest Catch,” Mahlon worked on two boats including the Cape Caution and Seabrooke. On one of his fishing teams, Mahlon worked under Captain “Wild” Bill Wichrowski.
Before the show’s 15th season, Wichrowski spoke on the harsh conditions and challenges of crabbing. “Everybody talks about the weather — there’s gonna be weather every year, but we had the one storm last year that … I hadn’t been afraid, probably, in 25 years and I was afraid and that takes a lot,” Wichrowski told Popculture.com.
