Sig Hansen From ‘Deadliest Catch’ Suffers A Heart Attack

Sig Hansen’s daughter, Mandy, posted a photo of her father smiling from a hospital bed to her Instagram Page on March 2 along with a caption that reads, “Capt survived the ‘widowmaker’!! Beating a heart attack ain’t easy. Welcome back boss.” Apparently, this happened sometime early this morning, and there is very little additional information at this time. For some reason, the post has now been removed, but Deadliest Catch posted to their Facebook page this afternoon.

“Captain Sig Hansen experienced chest pain at sea during the taping of Deadliest Catch. While Sig was determined to keep going, the crew acted swiftly and insisted that they dock to get him help. He was airlifted to Anchorage, Alaska, and immediately rushed to a medical facility. He is with his family and in good spirits. Please send him your love and prayers!”

The Facebook fan page Deadly Catch also posted Mandy’s statement concerning Sig Hansen, and several fans of the show have been leaving their wishes for a full recovery and have also been suggesting that the captain of the crabbing boat the Northwestern consider giving up smoking. Sig has tried in the past, and hopefully, he will be successful in the future.

For those unfamiliar with Sig Hansen, his brother Edgar, and the other captains and their crews on this wildly popular series, the show portrays the dangerous day-to-day activities aboard several fishing vessels. These brave men and women risk their lives on the Bering Sea in pursuit of the lucrative Alaskan king crab, snow crab, and bairdi crab. They tough out some of the worst conditions as they battle to pull their crab pots in raging seas, freezing winds, sleet, and snow. Like the other boats, their base of operations is located in the Aleutian Islands port of Dutch Harbor.

Over the years, Sig Hansen and his family have become fan favorites. Recently, Sig Hansen’s daughter Mandy even toughed out a grueling stint on her father’s boat during crab season. Where even the toughest men have failed, she pushed through the pain that accompanies crab fishing and finished what she started, earning the respect of her father’s crew and fans everywhere.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axa-1PvPN94

The life of a Bering Sea captain isn’t easy, but it is definitely in Sig Hansen’s Norwegian blood. The eldest of Sverre Hansen’s three sons, his father, and grandfather both pioneered the beginning of opilio crab fishing in Alaska. This gave the fishermen a way to earn money all year long instead of working shorter seasons later in the year. Like the other boats, the Hansen’s base of operations is located in the Aleutian Islands port of Dutch Harbor.

I didn't make it off the boat in time for #ApprenticeFinale pic.twitter.com/lQ9bRIPUH9

— Sig Hansen (@northwesternsig) February 17, 2015

Sig Hansen just couldn’t stay away, and by the age of 14, he was working as a deckhand on the family boat. Once he graduated high school, he began fishing full time, often spending 10 months out of the year in Alaska on the Bering Sea. Sig Hansen was running the Northwestern by the time he was 24-years-old.

The Hansen’s have an excellent safety record and are one of the top producers of crab every season. There has never been a death at sea since Sig Hansen took over as captain of the Northwestern. Every year, Sig and crew are able to meet their quota of crab and have some of the highest payouts for their dedicated crew members.

Recently, Sig has handed the reins over to his relief skipper and deck boss, younger brother Edgar Hansen, so he could try his hand at fishing crab. Like his brother, Edgar also has the Hansen touch and was successful on his outings. According to the Northwestern’s website, Edgar began fishing when he was 18 and when he first joined the boat he replaced Sig as the cook. Over the years, Sig and Edgar Hansen have made a formidable team other boat captains look up to and strive to emulate.

The series premiered on April 12, 2005, and airs in over 200 countries. According to the Deadliest Catch Facebook page, Sig Hansen and crew will be returning for Season 12 on March 29, 2016.

If you would like to leave any comments or wishes for a speedy recovery, do so below. Updates will be published as more news is available, so keep checking back.

[Image via Deadliest Catch/Facebook]