All eyes points to 53 52′ North / 166 31′ West: Dutch Harbor, Alaska, where Captains Sig Hansen (Northwestern), Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand (Time Bandit), Phil Harris (Cornelia Marie) and Keith Colburn (Wizard) are all back for another season of crab fishing, but storms — personal, natural and financial–are brewing .
Phil and Keith both face serious health issues. While Keith escapes a close call with cancer, Phil finds himself in limbo, not sure if he will even be allowed to fish this year. Following his leg embolism last year, Phil sweats it out on the docks, waiting for what he hopes is the doctors’ thumbs up to join his crew, which includes sons Josh and Jake.
Sig, the Hillstrands, Phil and Keith have all sunk hundreds of thousands of dollars in summer repairs into their boats betting large hauls will be a return on their investment. But when crab numbers start off light and one boat is damaged, the captains resort to extreme measures to ensure their livelihood.
And finally, this season, the ‘deadliest’ in DEADLIEST CATCH lives up to its name as the tragedy of the Katmai unfolds sending ripples through the fishing community of Dutch Harbor. On October 22, seven fishermen lost their lives in the icy Bering Sea and only Discovery cameras were there to be a part of the Coast Guard’s search and rescue. Surviving Katmai crew members, including the captain, open up about their harrowing days adrift on the open sea and the bonds with their fallen brothers.
“No other non-fiction series on television can come near the raw, genuine drama and action of DEADLIEST CATCH. Now in its fifth season, the series is as fresh and compelling as the very first show we created,” said John Ford, President and General Manager, Discovery Channel.