Deadliest Catch Star Nick Mavar Dead at 59 After Suffering ‘Medical Emergency’ at Alaska Boatyard

Nick Mavar, a deckhand on Deadliest Catch for 16 years, has died. He was 59.

The fisherman, who appeared on 98 episodes of the popular show and was considered the “right hand man” of Captain Sig Hansen, died on Thursday, June 13, the Bristol Bay Borough Police Department confirms to PEOPLE.

Authorities said they received a 911 call regarding a medical emergency at a local boatyard in Naknek, Alaska. After emergency personnel responded to the scene, police said they transported Mavar to Camai Medical Center, “while providing life saving measures.”

He was later pronounced dead by medical staff, and his family has been notified. An investigation is also underway.

PEOPLE has reached out to reps at Discovery Channel for comment.

TMZ was first to report the news.

Working on F/V Northwestern, Mavar left Deadliest Catch in 2021 after experiencing a different medical emergency regarding his appendix. The incident was caught on camera, showing Mavar’s condition worsening.

“I feel pain, I feel pain,” he told cameras while pointing to his lower stomach in a clip from the July 2021 episode.

Captain Sig Hansen later called Mavar his “right hand man” as the crew contemplated having him airlifted to the hospital — a decision they later came to.

Mavar did not return to the show following this incident as he found out he had a cancerous tumor in his appendix. He ended up suing the owners of the boat for failing to provide adequate medical care, according to Alaska Public Media.

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Mavar isn’t the only Deadliest Catch crew member who has died. In 2020, deck boss Nick McGlashan died at the age of 33. He had been in 78 episodes starting in 2013.

In May 2018, former Deadliest Catch captain Blake Painter was found dead in his home in Astoria, Oregon. He was 38.

Other stars who have sadly died include Phil Harris, a captain and part-owner of the Cornelia Marie Phil Harris; Justin Tennison, a deckhand on Deadliest Catch‘s Time Bandit; and Tony Lara, a former Deadliest Catch captain.