Deadliest Catch Captain Sig Hansen shocked his crew and daughter Mandy in Tuesday’s Season 15 premiere of the Discovery docuseries when he revealed that he had suffered another heart attack just days before taking off for king crab season.
As the Northwestern prepared for the season ahead, Mandy Hansen Pederson was slightly miffed to not be able to get ahold of her dad, who was late getting into Dutch Harbor to lead preparations aboard the vessel.
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Taking over his responsibilities, the Maritime Academy graduate used her training and experience to get everything set for the season, which was a relief for Sig when he finally rolled into the harbor last-minute.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t here,” he said, addressing his daughter and crew. “The only reason I couldn’t get up here earlier was because I had another slight heart attack. Same son of a b— that almost got me last time.”
Three years ago, Deadliest Catch fans were shocked when Sig suffered a massive heart attack mid-season in the wheelhouse, revealed later to be the result of a blocked artery known colloquially as “the widowmaker.”
Sig explained, “I realized something’s wrong, I go to the emergency and one of my arteries was completely blocked off.”
“They gave me a green light two days ago,” he continued, adding, “I had to beg for it. Basically, I had to BS my way through it.”
Mandy was not happy to hear her father was back out on the Bering Sea just days after he could have died, but maintained a stoic exterior heading out for the season.
“The first heart attack should have been an eye-opener,” she told the camera. “I’m thankful that I’m here and get to spend some extra time with him. I wanna support him in any way possible. Hopefully we’ll just make it through king crab and get home safe.”
Sig, meanwhile, was ready to keep preparing Mandy for her possible continuation of the Hansen name at sea, adding, “Bottom line, I just want to get out there and start fishing.”
With Sig’s health looming overhead, the crew of the Northwestern is trying to fill its king crab quota as quickly as possible, but with the crab all seemingly huddled together in one 800-square-foot mass, things promise to become a “battle ground” out on the Bering Sea.
Deadliest Catch airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET on Discovery.
Photo credit: Discovery
