“Deadliest Catch” Deckhand Todd Meadows’ Family Launches GoFundMe Following His Death at 25 to Help His 3 ‘Amazing Little Boys’

NEED TO KNOW

• Deadliest Catch deckhand Todd Meadows died on Feb. 25 after he fell overboard while working in Alaska

• Meadows was 25, and he left behind “three amazing little boys who were his entire world,” according to a GoFundMe page started in his honor

• The fundraiser was started to “ease the financial burden” his family now faces

A GoFundMe has been launched to help Todd Meadows’ young family after his tragic death.

The 25-year-old Deadliest Catch star died on Wednesday, Feb. 25, Captain Rick Shelford announced on Facebook on Monday, March 2. His death is currently under investigation, a spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard Arctic District told PEOPLE on Tuesday, March 3, noting that Meadows was on the job when he “fell overboard” just after 5 p.m. local time in Alaska.

A fundraising page was started by a friend to help provide for Meadows’ three sons after he died “while doing what he loved — crabbing out on Alaskan waters,” per the GoFundMe. “He was a determined dad to three amazing little boys who were his entire world. Everything he did was for them — their smiles, their futures, and the memories they will carry with them.”

“This unimaginable loss has left his children without their father, his parents without their son, his siblings without their brother and his family broken. As the family navigates this heartbreaking time, we are raising funds to help support his three boys, assist with funeral expenses, and help ease the financial burden in the months ahead,” reads the description.

All donations “will go directly toward honoring his life and ensuring his boys are cared for in the way he would have wanted.” The fundraiser has amassed over $37,000 since it was created six days ago.

Todd Meadows
Credit: captain_rick_shelford/Instagram

In Shelford’s Facebook post announcing Meadows’ death, he said it was “the most tragic day in the history of the Aleutian Lady on the Bering Sea” as he reflected on Meadows’ life.

“Todd was the newest member of our crew, he quickly became family. His love for fishing and his strong work ethic earned everyone’s respect right away. His smile was contagious, and the sound of his laughter coming up the wheelhouse stairs or over the deck hailer is something we will carry with us always.”

“Todd’s love for his children, his family and his life was evident in everything he did,” Shelford continued. “He worked hard, loved deeply and brought joy to those around him. Right now, our hearts are broken in a way that words can’t fully express. We ask that you lift Todd’s children and family in prayer and keep them in your thoughts as they face the days ahead without him.”

A spokesperson for the Discovery Channel told PEOPLE in a statement, “We are deeply saddened by the tragic passing of Todd Meadows. This is a devastating loss, and our hearts are with his loved ones, his crewmates, and the entire fishing community during this incredibly difficult time.”

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The U.S. Coast Guard Arctic District spokesperson said that “Coast Guard watchstanders at the Arctic District command center in Juneau received notification from the fishing vessel Aleutian Lady, reporting that a crew member by the name of Todd Meadows fell overboard approximately 170 miles north of Dutch Harbor.”

Todd Meadows
Credit: GoFundMe

Meadows “was recovered unresponsive by the crew approximately ten minutes later,” the statement said. “First aid and attempts to resuscitate were unsuccessful, and the crew transported the deceased to Dutch Harbor.”

Officials are “currently investigating this situation,” the spokesperson continued.”As the nation’s leading marine safety organization, the Coast Guard investigates marine casualties and accidents to uncover their causes and initiate necessary corrective actions.”

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