Tragedy continues to plague Deadliest Catch. But for some, this battle is something they’re eager to beat. As “Wild” Bill Wichrowski states in the trailer for Season 20 of the reality series, “If I can help save one or two people on this planet, that’s a good thing.” Back in February, the skipper of fishing vessel Summer Bay went public with his cancer diagnosis. With footage of Bill visiting a doctor revealing he has prostate cancer, his battle is bound to be explored on screen this season.
Season 20 of Deadliest Catch has already been one for the history books. With a derby-style competition kicking off the season, familiar faces starting over on new vessels, and the consistency of incontinence conditions, Deadliest Catch’s landmark season is set to be unlike any other. The Discovery Channel hit has mesmerized viewers thanks to the high-stakes and terrifying industry.
Captain Bill Wichrowski’s Cancer Diagnosis Is Very Real
Fans were initially teased to Captain Bill’s cancer diagnosis toward the end of Season 19 before it appeared on the current season. He revealed more on his Facebook stating, “The next 4, 6, 8 months is not going to be pleasant.” But his diagnosis is not going to stop him from fishing, revealing he will keep going until he actually can’t. “I’ll be honest. It’s kind of weird to put [the diagnosis] out there to the public. I’ll explain to people what happens as it goes…I’m willing to put it out there to let people see the journey in hopes of convincing some people to get tested,” he said. His vow to help others has allowed him to continue with his passion while allowing his platform on Deadliest Catch to bring cancer awareness.
“Wild” Bill Wichrowski has endured a series of tough times recently as he lost his deck boss, Nick McGlashan, in 2020 at the age of 33. Featured predominantly on the series together, Bill considered Nick like a son. Nick McGlashan lost his battle to addiction after passing due to a drug overdose. While it didn’t occur during the show, the reaction to his passing was captured on Deadliest Catch. For now, fans will be sending support toward “Wild Bill” as he continues his journey with prostate cancer.
Deadliest Catch airs new episodes every Tuesday at 8:00pm on Discovery Channel. All episodes are available to stream on Discovery Plus.
Nick Mavar — who was once a deckhand on the F/V Northwestern on “Deadliest Catch” — has died … TMZ has learned.
The Police Chief of Bristol Bay Borough Police Department in Alaska tells TMZ … the ex-Discovery Channel star died Thursday afternoon in Naknek — this after experiencing a medical emergency of some sort.
BBBPD wouldn’t elaborate on the nature of the medical emergency — noting it was too early in the investigation to draw conclusions. We are, however, told Nick’s family has been notified of the tragic news.
Further details haven’t been provided at this time — cops are conducting interviews now.
Nick appeared in 98 episodes on “Deadliest Catch” from 2005 to 2021 … serving as a deckhand responsible for maintaining the Northwestern and its mechanical equipment. He ended up bowing out of the show after a health scare involving his appendix — a dramatic event that chronicled in one of his final episodes.
The health scare at the time actually led to some legal action — Nick ended up suing Captain Sig Hansen … this after he alleged there wasn’t a proper plan in place to get him outside medical help during the pandemic.
He said the delay in getting help led to his appendix rupturing — which he claimed had a tumor attached that he wasn’t aware of — while aboard the F/V Northwestern … and he was in court over this as recently as last year.
Hansen fired back at the time, saying the whole ordeal wasn’t on him … but on the production company and the medical subcontractor. Last we heard, in 2023, the Hansen family were gunning for legal and medical payments linked to Mavar’s injuries.
Meanwhile, post-“Deadliest Catch,” Nick has reportedly been spotted in and around Alaska’s Bristol Bay of late, captaining his own salmon boat and minding his business. He was 59.
