Deadliest Catch showcases the dangers that come with a life at sea. Recently, one crewmember featured on the show endured a medical emergency when the crew was supposed to be sleeping. Captain Johnathan Hillstrand found himself leading the rescue mission.
Discovery’s Deadliest Catch Recently Returned For Season 22 Back In May
Deadliest Catch made its debut on the Discovery Channel in 2005. The series follows crab fishermen along the Berish Sea as they risk all sorts of threats on the water.
Recently, the series returned for Season 22 back in May. Since then, viewers recently saw a crew member find themselves in a dangerous position on the show.
In a recent episode of the show, “Those in Peril on the Sea,” a greenhorn named Ryan got injured after he fell off his bunk bed while on the ship. Captain Johnathan Hillstrand and the crew of the Time Bandit found themselves rushing to shore to help.
Before things took off, Hillstrand could be heard saying, “The guys are sleeping like babies. 12 hours from our gear, I’m steaming hard.” However, he was later awoken by the crew, alerting him that Ryan got hurt.
A producer could be heard saying, “Hey Johnny, something happened to Ryan, man. He fell off his bunk and hit his head.” The episode then cut to a shot of the wooden corner of a shelf inside the bunk room that was stained with blood.
Ryan could also be seen with a large gash on his head, extending from his forehead to his right eyebrow. Hillstrand helped clean Ryan’s wound, calling on the crew to help. He could be heard saying, “Get him a blanket and a pillow. Come lay down,” as well as suture tape.
Neal, an engineer, helped to apply the suture tape to the wound. Hillstrand advised, “Squeeze it as tight as you can.” He added, “Everyone keep an eye on him. If he starts throwing up, we got problems.”
The Injured Crew Member Didn’t Seem To Remember Captain Johnathan Hillstrand Was The One Who Patched Him Up
The captain explained the story further, “We have an injured crew member. Ryan fell out of his bed and cut his head, so we’re watching him for a concussion. He’s in pretty bad shape. We can’t take a chance, so we’re gonna have to go to the clinic. That sucks, but that’s what we’ve gotta do.”
The crew found themselves traversing the sea to reach St. George Island Harbor so that Ryan could get medical help. A producer asked Ryan how his head was feeling, with Ryan noting, “Not good.” He also asked, “Does John know?” The producer was surprised at this question, noting, “Yeah, John knows. He’s the one that patched you up.” Ryan admitted he didn’t even remember this.
The Time Bandit rushed to shore to get a crew member to a clinic after he sustained a bloody injury in the latest episode of ‘Deadliest Catch.’ https://t.co/fGdrFJVsI2
— Entertainment Weekly (@EW) August 15, 2026
Hillstrand later explained more of what happened: “Ryan was getting up and he slipped off his bunk and cracked his head on the corner of a shelf. So trying to make it to the island. Take our patient to the clinic. I gotta get into the harbor. It’s not an easy thing to do here.”
Later, the captain asked, “Why am I sweatin’ bullets right now? That was f****** gnarly, dude.” Ryan later noted that his “head hurts like a motherf*****,” as he prepared to get stitches. Hillstrand noted, “I can’t leave town unless the doctor checks him out. Hopefully he’ll be good enough tomorrow to go fishing with us. I need some new underwear!”
‘Deadliest Catch’: Johnathan Hillstrand’s greenhorn deckhand suffers gnarly injury. https://t.co/kty06IAZ6o
— TV Insider (@TVInsider) August 15, 2026
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John Witiw has been a writer since at least 2015. He’s covered a variety of topics, especially when it comes to film and television.