One of the stars of Deadliest Catch, Keith Colburn, has fans concerned about his health.
Fans watched on in horror as Keith experienced a medical emergency at sea right in front of his reality show cameras.
The show has shown just how perilous and stressful Keith’s job is in the past, but this latest turn of events has many wondering if he’ll be able to continue.
Or if he even should!
Captain Keith Colburn Has Medical Emergency at Sea
During the October 1 episode of the milestone 20th season of Deadliest Catch, fans watched in horror as Captain Keith Colburn collapsed while out at sea.
What started as an intense argument with his brother Monte ended with finding Keith slumped in the wheelhouse, unresponsive. When he finally came around, he motioned to his left side, saying it was numb and he couldn’t feel his arm.
With tears in his eyes, Keith watched on as his brother desperately steered the boat back to Saint Paul Harbor. Monte also spent a good chunk of time on the line with a medical team, as the fear was Keith had a possible stroke or heart attack.
An ambulance met the boat to quickly medivac him to doctors. That’s where the episode ends, but not Keith’s story.
Remembering Captain Phil Harris
What made this episode and the whole episode so unnerving, for the crew and fans, is the fact that everyone had lived through the same scenario before.
Fourteen years ago, Captain Phil Harris suffered a stroke at sea. Captains Sig Hansen and Jake Anderson watched on with Keith just as they had with Phil.
Though Captain Phil was airlifted from St. Paul Island, Alaska from the boat, the medics didn’t get to him in time.
He sadly died 11 days later.
Captain Keith Colburn’s Health Today
As of now, Captain Keith Colburn has not publicly addressed the collapse on his social media.
Fans have been concerned that he suffered a stroke like Captain Phil or a heart attack.
However, filming took place months before the episode aired, and since that time, Keith has been posting on social media. He even made an appearance at the Portland Seafood & Wine Festival in March of 2024.
So, whatever happened to him, he seems to have made enough of a recovery. What we don’t know is if he’ll return for another season after what happened.
That remains to be seen. The October 8 episode should explain more of what happened next.