Deadliest Catch Captain Blake Painter’s Death May Have Been Caused By Drugs, Report Reveals

Deadliest Catch captain Blake Painter may have died of a drug overdose, as a police report reveals that several drugs were found in his home, Fox News is reporting.

Painter had been the captain of the crabbing vessel Maverick on the second and third seasons of the popular show, before quitting.

Painter died sometime before May 25. That was the day when police discovered his body in his Oregon home. A friend of the crab fisherman had become concerned after not seeing him for several days, so he (the friend) went to Painter’s home and peered through a window. The friend saw Painter lying on the floor, motionless, so he called the police.

The scene of Painter’s death is described in gruesome detail by celebrity gossip site TMZ. Authorities say that when officers entered the home they could smell “the odor of decaying flesh.” His back, stomach, and face were all blue. So decayed was the body that it’s still unclear how long the crab fisherman had been dead before his body was found.

He was 38.

Now, according to a police report obtained by TMZ, it turns out that drugs may have played a role in Painter’s death. A bottle containing the prescription painkiller Tramadol was found in his home, as was another bottle containing “an assortment” of various other pills. In his pants pocket was found a pipe, and a nearby Altoids tin contained what is believed to be heroin and methamphetamine.

'Deadliest Catch' Blake Painter's Death, Heroin and Meth Allegedly Found at Scene https://t.co/QlkQGpaWEt

— TMZ (@TMZ) June 11, 2018

Painter’s friend claimed that Painter had been “happy and sober” in the days prior to his death.

Though drugs were found at the scene of his death, it is still not known for certain how Painter died. That information won’t be released until toxicology and autopsy reports can be completed. Foul play is not suspected.

Deadliest Catch, which debuted in 2005 and has aired for 14 seasons, has consistently been one of the most popular shows on The Discovery Channel. Unfortunately, the show has not been without controversy, as many of the players on the show have been bedeviled by personal and legal problems.

Just a few days ago, for example, crab boat captain Sig Hansen pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of spitting on an Uber driver in 2017. He had also previously faced charges that he sexually abused his daughter, although those charges have been dropped. Similarly, in 2017, Jake Harris was arrested for car theft and drug possession; police allegedly found Xanax and meth in his possession.