Crabbing can be hard work — and, sometimes, with hard work comes
hard living. Once considered one of Deadliest Catch's rising stars,
the sudden passing of Blake Painter was more tragic than you might've guessed.
The commercial crabbing ship, the F/V Maverick, was part of the Discovery
reality television series, Deadliest Catch, through Seasons One, Two, and Three, with
Blake Painter first appearing in Season One as a Maverick deckhand. According to Reco Intensive,
Painter was a second-generation fisherman who began working in the industry when he
was nineteen years old. After becoming the Maverick's deck boss in Season Two,
he was named captain in Season Three, with his last appearance on the show being in 2007.
"Oh, look at that. That's a tank full of money right there."
According to Variety, by early 2008, Painter had bought his own fishing boat,
the F/V Tradition, and was actively serving as its skipper. But when he was off the water,
Painter would receive a public DUI arrest in 2013, and survive a life-threatening car
wreck in 2016. In 2018 — according to The Daily Astorian — he was charged with several offenses,
including driving under the influence and unlawful possession of heroin. During this
more recent DUI incident, a patrol officer claimed that he spotted Painter smoking heroin
while driving and, once he was stopped, visibly attempted to hide the evidence.
Only a few months after his arrest, a friend went to Painter's home in Astoria, Oregon,
to check on his well-being, and made a grim discovery. The thirty-eight-year-old Painter
was reportedly seen through the window, laying on his side on the floor of his living room.
It was later determined Painter had been dead for some time by the time he was discovered,
with a police officer telling TMZ that the "odor of decaying flesh" could be smelled
inside the house, and large portions of Painter's body had already turned blue.
Drugs and drug paraphernalia were reportedly found at the scene, including the painkiller tramadol,
a container reportedly filled with heroin and meth, a mix of pills and medication,
two pipes, and tinfoil. While no foul play was suspected,
Painter's toxicology report was never revealed to the public.
According to ABC News, Painter is just one of Deadliest Catch cast
and crew members to tragically lose their lives since the series premiere in 2005,
with his untimely death underscoring the dangerous and taxing nature of the king
crabbing industry operating in the Bering Sea. But Painter explained the appeal of one of the
world's most dangerous professions to Seattle Weekly in 2013, claiming,
"When fishing is good, you’re making money quick. It’s not uncommon to make $1,000 a day."
But the heavy toll of the work can also lead to an array of health problems,
leading many fishermen to deal with substance use issues.
According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health,
opioid use is common for pain management for a variety of different ailments.
Painter explained to Seattle Weekly that his many years as a fisherman — before, during,
and after his time on Deadliest Catch — led to a condition called "the claw." This occurs
when your hands involuntarily clench shut, and intense pain radiates up the length of your arms.
But this is only one of the harrowing injuries Painter outlined,
claiming that he'd required several surgeries for carpal tunnel syndrome,
and that his shoulder and back were also faring poorly due to years of the grueling labor.
"I don't want to be a pessimist, but it's not looking too good right now."
As news of Painter's 2018 death spread, fellow Deadliest Catch captain Keith Colburn tweeted,
"My sincerest condolences to Capt. Blake's family, friends, crew,
and all who loved him. Fair winds and following seas, Captain. Rest easy; we have the watch."
Nick McGlashan — fellow Deadliest Catch cast member and F/V Summer Bay deckhand — also tweeted,
"A fellow fisherman has lost his life due to an overdose. Prayers to his family please."
This would become eerily prophetic, as McGlashan would pass away in
2020 at the age of 33, due to his own ongoing struggles with substance use.
As of 2023 — with Deadliest Catch in its nineteenth season — eight
cast members have died, including Painter. The Daily Astorian claimed,
according to Painter's obituary, that he is survived by his two daughters.