Deadliest Catch’s Jake Anderson breaks down during heartbreaking phone call – after learning another show star has died

Deadliest Catch announced the passing of yet another cast member in its latest episode.

In Season 20, Episode 16, Titan Captain Jake Anderson receives devastating news while filming on the ship: his good friend and shipmate Tom Brossard has died.

During a phone call with his wife Jenna, Jake learned that Tom, 64, had died at his home in the Philippines.

Jenna says he suffered a heart attack and was rushed to hospital, but “didn’t make it.”

Overcome with emotion, Jake sinks back into his chair and fights back tears as he remembers how Tom was not only his “best friend,” but also recently helped him rebuild a boat.

In Season 20, Episode 16, Titan Captain Jake Anderson receives devastating news during filming on the ship: his close friend and shipmate Tom Brossard has died.

“We rebuilt the bow, we rebuilt the stern, we rebuilt the bathroom, we rebuilt the floors,” he said, his emotions running wild.

The episode comes nearly two months after it was reported that cast member Nick Mavar died at the age of 59 from a “medical emergency.”

From 2005 to 2021, he appeared in 98 episodes of Deadliest Catch, a series that highlights the lives of crab fishermen in the Bering Sea.

Mavar left the series after suffering a ruptured appendix while traveling in December 2020, an event documented in one of his final episodes.

He subsequently filed a lawsuit against Captain Sig Hansen and his wife June, alleging delays in obtaining necessary medical treatment during the pandemic, and seeking $1 million in damages.

Brossard and Mavar aren’t the first Deadliest Catch stars to die unexpectedly.

In August 2020, Mahlon Reyes died of a heart attack at the age of 38. Captain Blake Painter was found dead in his Astoria, Oregon home in 2018, also at the age of 38.

Captain Tony Lara died of a heart attack in his sleep in South Dakota in 2015, while Captain Phil Harris died of a heart attack in Alaska in 2010 at the age of 53 after suffering a stroke.

In 2011, sailor Justin Tennison was found dead in his Alaska hotel room at the age of 33. His death was attributed to complications from sleep apnea, leading to speculation of a “curse” surrounding the show, according to ABC News.

During a phone call with his wife Jenna, Jake learns that Tom, 64, has died in his home in the Philippines

Jenna says he had a heart attack and was rushed to hospital, but ‘didn’t make it’

Overcome with emotion, Jake sinks back into his chair, fighting back tears as he recalls how Tom was not only his “best friend,” but also recently helped him rebuild a boat

The episode comes nearly two months after the announcement of cast member Nick Mavar’s death from a “medical emergency” at age 59

Mavar is seen on the right with the crew of Deadliest Catch, including Captain Sig Hansen (center), whom he would later sue

Meanwhile, Discovery wrote in a statement about the historic 20th season: “Since its debut, this 59-time Emmy-nominated series has revolutionized unscripted television, using best-in-class cinematography and storytelling to capture every death-defying moment at sea and captivate generations of viewers with authentic, enduring characters.”

Howard Lee, President of Discovery Networks, said in a recent statement, “Deadliest Catch is the gold standard for unscripted series, paving the way for an entire genre of television that puts the spotlight on everyday working heroes.”

He continued: ‘The public has grown with our captains and their families, respecting their unwavering determination and experiencing their struggles and successes together with them.

“This season is a celebration of their epic stories and the first page of their next chapter.”