The Tragic Death Of Deadliest Catch Star Mahlon Reyes

Fans of The Deadliest Catch were dealt a blow when they learned that cast member Mahlon Reyes suddenly died in July 2020 from a heart attack, as reported by USA Today. He was born in Whitefish, Montana and appeared on 14 episodes of the hit Discovery crabbing show from 2012 to 2020. 

Sadly, the series has been mired with both tragedy and turmoil. Captain Sig Hansen was arrested in 2017 after getting into a physical altercation with an Uber driver, as reported by KIRO7 News. That same year, another Deadliest Catch cast member, Jake Harris, was arrested for stealing a car and was later wanted by authorities for skipping his court date.

The following year, fellow crab fisher Blake Painter passed away. Losses continued to pile up as deck boss Nick McGlashan, who had appeared on over 80 episodes of the show, died in December 2020.

A fact that made McGlashan's death even more harrowing was that he was close friends with Reyes. After learning about his shipmate's demise, the Alaskan took to Twitter to pay tribute. He posted a photo of the two on a boat together and included the caption, "This place misses you. RIP Mahlon." A few days later, McGlashan posted another moving tribute to his friend on the social media platform. He uploaded a group photo along with Reyes' loved ones and tweeted, "Laughing, crying and remembering our brother Mahlon Reyes of the Summer Bay."

Unfortunately, both men had substance abuse issues that came under examination following their deaths. 

As reported by Variety, Mahlon Reyes was brought to the hospital on July 25, 2020 when he was found unconscious due to a heart attack. A few days later the family decided to take him off life support after he failed to regain consciousness. At the time, his cause of death was unknown.

On January 06, 2021, TMZ was informed by a local coroner that Reyes died from a drug overdose. "Mahlon's cause of death is listed as acute cocaine intoxication... according to Flathead County Sheriff and Coroner, Brian Heino," The outlet reported.

Shortly following his death, The Deadliest Catch cast member's wife, Heather Sullivan, corresponded with USA Today via email. She said his family was focusing on the positive memories he left behind, writing, "We laugh and remember all the funny stories and have been surrounded by an amazing group of our best friends and family."

Sullivan made a Facebook page memorializing Reyes. In one post she included a slew of photos of the couple and mentioned how she was grateful for not only being a couple for 13 years, but spending the last months of his life together as he stayed home rehabbing an Achilles injury that kept him from working. A special post was made on the Facebook page following Nick McGlashan's untimely death which included photos of Reyes and McGlashan together along with a heartfelt message that read, "Together again flying high... rest in paradise my boys."

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse and mental health, please contact SAMHSA's 24-hour National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).