The famed star of the Discovery Channel's, "Deadliest Catch," Captain Phil Harris has suffered a stroke and was medivacked to a local hospital in St. Paul, Alaska. His son, Josh Harris, stated on the crew's web page that his father is in a hospitial where, Cornelia Marie Devlin, co-owner of the ship, and Jake Harris are with him.
On Saturday night, Capt. Phil underwent surgery. Both of his sons, Josh and Jake, were at his side. Josh flew in from St. Paul to join his brother. It may be some time before we know anything substantial about Phil’s condition, family members said.
The family said, "Thank you to everyone who has sent good wishes and prayers for Phil, his family and the Cornelia Marie crew. An old family friend of the F/V Cornelia Marie, Derek Ray, flew to St. Paul to take on the role of relief skipper for the rest of the Opilio season."
Jake Harris is Capt. Phil's youngest son and is a deckhand on the crab fishing vessel "Cornelia Marie" captained by his father.
Hamilton County General Sessions Court Judge Bob Moon, who is friends with "Northwestern" fishing boat deckhand, "Matt Bradley, said that Capt. Harris suffered the serious incident while unloading a fresh catch and was taken to St. Paul Clinic where he is receiving the best care possible."
Judge Moon said, "Captain Harris was found on the floor of his state room on the boat by the ship's engineer on Friday. He has been a crab fisherman for the past 32 years and has captained the fishing boat, 'Cornelia Marie,' for the last 18 years. His son, Josh has remained on the ship awaiting a relief captain to complete the ophilio crab season which is currently being filmed by the Discovery Channel to air this spring."
A published poem titled, "Prayer for the Northwestern," was written by Judge Moon for Captain Sig Hansen, Matt Bradley and crew last year and will featured this spring. Captain Hansen and crew received and accepted the poem which now hangs in the wheelhouse of the "Northwestern" fishing vessel.
Judge Moon said, "No further details on Captain Harris' condition are known at this time He was taken to the same clinic that he was taken to a couple of years ago when suffering a blood clot."