Overview
- The Season 22 finale, broadcast Sept. 25, reconstructed the moments before and after Todd Meadows went overboard but did not show the fall itself and included his final confessional and a FaceTime with his three young children.
- Multiple outlets reported that Meadows’ death certificate lists the cause of death as “drowning with probable hypothermia” and records “submersion of body in cold water.”
- On‑screen text in the episode stated Meadows spent six minutes and 26 seconds in the water before being pulled up unresponsive, the crew performed CPR, and the captain called the U.S. Coast Guard which confirmed the crew recovered him unresponsive within roughly ten minutes.
- Meadows’ family publicly objected to airing footage and were reported to be considering a wrongful‑death lawsuit, and a GoFundMe for his children saw renewed donations after the episode aired.
- The broadcast closed with tributes including a Seattle Fishermen’s Memorial gathering and has renewed public and industry scrutiny of how reality productions handle on‑deck deaths and the ethical and legal questions that follow.