'Deadliest Catch' Searches for Replacement Captain After Medical Crisis Benches Keith Colburn

The Deadliest Catch cast is in search of a new captain going into opilio crab season.

During Tuesday's all-new episode of the Discovery show, Captain Keith Colburn returned to the Wizard with bad news for brother and co-Captain Monte after sitting out the baidi season due to a spinal infection.

But while Keith may have beat the frightening infection, there was more going on in the captain's spine to keep him away from the sea.

"The infection is gone, that's good," he told his brother, "but the disk between the two vertebrae — totally gone. The infection ate the whole disk."

Monte looked shocked to hear the bad news, but he hadn't yet realized the implications of his brother's injury — missing the first olphie season in more than 30 years.

"I am not olpie fishing this year," he declared. "There's no way I could sit in that chair."

While Monte claimed that he could fish the season alone in the captain's quarters, Keith knew better, explaining, "It's a totally different beast. [The crab are] more demanding and the hours are longer."

In an attempt to keep the Wizard going 24 hours a day throughout the season, the brothers turned to fellow Cornelia Marie Captain Josh Harris, who recently returned to the boat after taking time off last season to care for his family following the loss of his grandfather.

"I need another guy, and what I'm hoping is that you would strongly consider this," Keith told Harris. "Would you like to come over and learn from Monte and run some crab pots on wizard? I'm not expecting you to work on deck; I'm not expecting you to prove anything to the guys, just come over, work with Monte. You'd be driving with him, that's all we're asking for."

Harris was shocked to hear about his fellow Captain's medical issues, and while his co-captain gave him his blessing, he told Keith he needed a day to consider his options.

"This is a big ask for him, I know that," Keith told the cameras later, adding, "If he says no, I'm out of options."

In the end, however, Harris had to refuse the favor, explaining that while he wishes the senior fisherman luck, he needed to put in a solid season on his own boat.

"I wanna hep you out, but ever since I bought into this boat, I keep getting off and taking these side tours. Taking time off, whether it's family s— or whether it's whatever I've got going on, I've gotta start focusing on my overall," he told Keith. "It gets to a point where I've gotta quit saying yes to a lot of different things, because they are important and I've gotta start taking care of my own life."

Viewers waited eagerly to see what Keith would say to the younger captain at the rejection of his offer, but in the end, the seasoned captain offered Harris his respect for making a decision that needed to be made on his end.

"I'll tell you what Josh, I've been sitting here waiting for you to make decisions that are showing some kind of leadership, and I'm finally starting to respect you sitting in that chair," Keith said, reassuring Harris that he would work something out eventually. "One thing I do know is the Wizard will get off this dock somehow, some way, with someone sitting in that seat. It's just not gonna be you."

The two men embraced and sent each other on their respective ways, although it was clear Harris was still feeling guilty for his decision to stay with the Cornelia Marie.

"It sucks when you wanna help somebody out," he said. "I respect the hell out of the Wizard, I respect the hell out of Monte, it just gets to a point where I've gotta do me, and it's time."

In the end, Keith ended up calling an old friend to fill in as relief skipper, which brought new life into Keith's discouraged attitude.

We can't wait to meet the new skipper about to hit the docks.

Deadliest Catch airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Discovery.

Photo credit: Discovery