Vale: Phil Harris

Phil Harris, captain of the Cornelia Marie on the Deadliest Catch, has died, aged 53.

On January 30th, Harris suffered a stroke while unloading crab and was airlifted to Anchorage, Alaska, for 12 hours of surgery before being placed in a medically induced coma. His death follows improvements last week during which he told his doctors and nurses not to “f*** up.”

But on the show’s website, sons Jake and Josh Harris advised:

“It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to our dad, Captain Phil Harris. Dad has always been a fighter and continued to be until the end. 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. – Jake and Josh Harris”

Harris, a  crab fisherman for 32 years, had captained  the Cornelia Marie for 18 years which was one of several vessels featured in the fearless documentary series Deadliest Catch.

The Discovery Channel said in a statement Harris was “more than someone on our television screen. Phil was a devoted father and loyal friend to all who knew him. We will miss his straightforward honesty, wicked sense of humor and enormous heart.”

Source: LA Times