01x06 - Man Overboard

[bunniefuu]

It's January
on the vast Bering Sea.

That's 2.5 million km
of the world's most treacherous water.

There is a lucrative,
but deadly catch: the crab.

Heavy machinery,
high waves and bad weather.

- are ingredients
in a dangerous dish.

It's Greenlandic crab season.
The most dangerous of the six seasons.

A few hours ago
the fishing boat Big Valley went down.

An extensive search begins.

Two crew members have been found.
One of them is alive.

The other did not survive.
Four people are still missing.

The search for survivors
continues in "Deadly Catch".

DEADLY CATCH

Two days after,
the sailboat left the shore.

- a drama
about a missing boat was played out.

Captains listen to everything

- in the hope of finding out what has
happened to the crew.

Of the two that have been found, one can
one can tell you what happened.

He says he woke up at 7:15 am,
and everything was black.

The boat had a 45-degree list,
which quickly became 90 degrees.

A few minutes later
Big Valley sank.

Three of the crew members
jumped into the water without suits.

They did not survive
for more than ten minutes.

But a sixth man
put on the rescue suit.

He might still be in the water
fighting for his life.

The captain of the Mavericks
and his wife are searching for missing people.

I'm three miles from the fleet.

I stay on the right side.

I sail two kilometers further
and then return afterwards.

Maverick has been joined by
by several boats.

Among them is the Stimpson,
which is an Alaskan police boat.

We need to keep our eyes open. The more
we are, the better their chances.

The crew on the boats know,
that it's expensive.

- but a person is in the water,
and that's what counts.

Everyone needs to pay attention.
I don't want anyone here.

I have plenty of time.
Keep your eyes open.

My best friend, Chris, died in my
arms and his brother died last year.

It's not a good place
to fall overboard.

I drew a line between the distress signal
and where the life raft was.

The life raft should be
driven longer than a human.

We sail towards the life raft -

- a few kilometers further,
and then we'll turn around.

This is the scariest part.
You don't want it to happen.

I hope they find him,
and that he's alive.

Trying to find a man
in the Bering Sea.

- four hours later,
the boat has sunk is difficult.


a radio announcement broke the silence.



We've found someone.
Want to come and see?

We're under the helicopter.
Stimpson has a man in the water.

Stimpson, that's N57°09'82.


the person is not conscious.

The fisherman is picked up by Stimpson,
where CPR is initiated.

Does the man you found show
show any signs of life?

Sherman Stimpson, no signs of life.

Did you perform CPR or first aid?
Come on in.

- We did it, but we've stopped.
- Got it.

The investigation is over.

- Come in, Stimpson.
- We're gonna take a little trip to...

... and then move on,
since everyone's been found.

Stimpson, Maverick does the same.
The end.

The Bering Sea has taken everything,
what's left of the Big Valley.

Captain Gary Edwards and four men
of the crew are missing.

DEADLY CATCH


where Big Valley sank.

- the crew of the
of Lady Alaska have heard the news.

Captain Pete Liske
has been hit hard.

He knew the missing men,
and Gary Edwards was his good friend.

There's not much to do.
We have to fish for Gary.

Are you ready, guys?

We have good bait, good boat
and a skilled engineer ...

... so nothing can stop us.

Ten, nine, eight, seven, six

- five, four, three

- two, one... let her go.

The crew gets to work
to work.

It's their way of grieving.


Northwestern lives up to its name.

She's heading northwest towards Russia.

Captain Sig Hansen decides to
to fish far from shore

- and thereby placing them
outside the rescue area.

I hope we are alone.
But you can't expect that.

If there are crabs,
the others will come.

There are no boats here.
This can be both good and bad.

- Where are we?
- I don't really know.

I hope for the best.

The season has started, but the boat
has not been able to start.

We can start at any time.
It takes time to remove the tarpaulin.

They need to remove the tarpaulin,
that has been protecting the tarps from ice.

It's like a big seal.
I don't know if you've sailed...

It's four times bigger
and takes four or five of us with it.

I wanted it to be safe,
and that it was taken off.

It doesn't matter what you do.

It's not essential,
but I don't want to be late.

I just want to get started.

Finally, the
the tarpaulin has been removed.

It was dangerous.
That's why we're here.

We're going to bait the hook
and hopefully make money.

Northwestern is ready to fish.

But first, an important one,
Norwegian tradition.

- Ready, Edgar?
- The more rotten the better.

It tastes really bad.

Put it out.

- We don't leave too early.
- He's happy that we're starting.

The weather and waves make it
difficult to set out pots.

But the captain
can make it safer.

I keep an eye on the speed

- so it's safe for them.

And I follow them on the screen,
so I can see what they're doing.

He usually tells me when there's a
a wave is coming. That's not good.

I try to make a straight line,
so it'll be easier next time.

You don't want
the yarn to get twisted.

The crew members
are always thinking about the ropes.

A 360-kilogram pot
is dropped to the bottom.

First chain with 20 pots
has been deployed.

That's it, that's it.
Now there's nothing more to do.


of Northwestern.

- the rescue operation is over.

Captain Quashnick makes sure
the crew starts fishing.

Let's get started, guys.

Captain Rick needs to save time
and sets out pots near Big Valley.

The men are extra careful,
when preparing the pots.

I help Rick with
keep an eye on the tire.

It's better with more eyes,
in case something happens.

Everyone, including me,
are very careful.

Concentration is required when
working in these conditions.

The accident of the morning must be pushed
away if everyone is to be safe.

The following six hours


Everyone is set out
around eight o'clock tomorrow morning.

Some need to be put out here
and several other places.

There is about a 15 minute break
break between the nets - the

- and then they are picked up.
They want crabs, after all.

Now it's fun.

In six hours we'll know,
if there's anything.

If they are empty, it doesn't
doesn't matter how long they're out.


of Dutch Harbor.

- Captain Stone and Retriever
are hot on the heels of Northwestern.

It started six hours ago,
and we're on our way to the fishing spot.

We hope we're lucky.
You can't get lucky enough.

The Retriever is a big boat.
It has a capacity of 115,000 kg.

But the season has been underway for
hours and all the pots are here.

Men want to make money.

So they are a little annoyed while
the captain heads for the North Pole.

There were no crabs. I'm happy to
would like to spend time catching more.

It's the first time I don't fish,
once the season has started.

We'll probably have to wait four hours,
before we can go out on deck.

Retriever steers further to the
northwest and the waves are getting higher.

Deck boy Daher Jorge
prepares one last hot meal.

We eat a proper meal
before and after the season.

That's how we usually do it.

The bars around the pot are there

- to hold the pan firmly in place.
Otherwise it will fall to the floor.

Everything is flying around. You can't open the
the door to the fridge like at home.

It has a fuse. You have to
open quietly. Otherwise it can come out.

Everything is strapped in. The microwave,
the TV, the VCR, the DVD player.

It's a bit like
like living in a house.

I don't see any other boats.
We're the only ones here.

It's a scary thing. If something goes
wrong, no one can come to the rescue.

Captain Jim is surprised,
when he sees other buoys.

Later, he catches the eye
on Northwestern.

He puts out enough nets.
He's sailing at four knots.

Captain Sig Hansen at Northwestern
is feeling a little envious.

Jim has a big, beautiful boat in Retriever.

He can take on a big load.

Northwestern is here.
It's possible he has something.

Maybe I'm a little jealous.
His boat is bigger.

Something like this can make you a little jealous.

But when you can earn a lot
in a limited amount of time.

- you forget the size.

We need to use more rope
and make them longer

- because Sig will lay the pliers deep.


south of Northwestern

- Vixen has started fishing.

This is 34-year-old Shaun Miles
first season as captain.

He recalls his first season
as a fisherman 15 years ago.

I was a real rookie.
I was seasick for nine days.

My brother pushed me and forced
me to work on the deck.

Despite nine days of seasickness
Shaun has stuck with it.

I have always
wanted to work outdoors.

I love traveling.
I've never been to Alaska before.

A large part of the boats in the fleet
come from Oregon.

The entire crew of the Vixen
is from Oregon.

To catch crabs,
you need cod.

Instead of buying bait
Vixen has pots that catch cod.

Some captains believe,
that crabs prefer fresh fish.

Captain Shaun has stocked up
with bait and saves money.

Now that Vixen has bait,
the crew sets out the pots.

And the waves are getting bigger.

I will put out nets in these areas.
We'll have to see how the weather goes.

They hope the pots will land
somewhere with Greenlandic crabs.

Time will tell if Captain Shaun's
first season is a success.


northwest of Dutch Harbor

- the crew of the Billikin
are sorting out the season's pots and pans.

Captain Jeff Weeks
is one of the most captivating.

This season
you have to beat Billikin.

The entire fleet is cautious
after the loss of Big Valley.

- and her five
crew members.

Jeff knows he needs to gather strength,
before the first pot is set out.

Are you ready, guys?

- I'm flying, Mom.
- Let it go, guys.

It probably takes four hours
to set out the pots.

Then we go back
and check on them after 12 hours.

When a yarn is set out,
loosen the next set of pegs.

All pliers are firmly tied
and chained.

A guy has to be up there

- and he then releases them
and connects them to the crane.

Loosening the tapes is risky.
Only the most experienced should do it.

They have to crawl on the slippery pulleys,
which are stacked nine meters high.

The boat rocks in the choppy water.

You have to be careful.
The pliers can slip.

When the pliers slip,
you lose your balance.

If you're on the edge,
you could end up in the water.

It's no more dangerous
than anywhere else.

The danger is just different.
You know they can move...

- or losing your balance,
if you're hit by a wave.

The shock of ending up in the cold
water can cause a heart attack.

When the body lands in the water,
it loses heat.

Blood flow
to the limbs is reduced.

This means you can't swim.

When the body reaches 30°C,
it's a metabolic freezer.

Immediately afterwards
all signs of life disappear.

Seconds count. If you look
down on the deck between the pontoons

- without seeing anyone,
you know the person isn't there.

Captain Quashnick and his wife,
Donnan, on the Maverick.

- still fishing close to the site,
where Big Valley sank.

It's been a tough day,
and it's not over yet.

When everyone thought,
it was quiet and calm...

- a disturbing
message from the crab boat Sultan.

Sultan has a man overboard.
Position: N58°42'89.

Man overboard,
and I can't find him.

- How far away are they?
- Approximately 240 kilometers.

I can't believe this is happening today.


ten minutes ago.

- He's not visible.
- Oh, my God! Oh, my God!

He walked over to the port side.

- to help with the pots and pans
and fell overboard.

It's been a sad day.

Billikin is too far away to
to help with the rescue operation.

Weeks knows that the deck boy must be
must be found now if he is to survive.

Can we get information about the individual
and details about the fall?

The individual's name is Manu Langai.

He's 5'5", Samoan,
and he has long black hair.

He was wearing rainwear.

Anyone who is in the area,
go there and look.

You need to be close to ...

... because it doesn't take long
before the person drifts away.

There are no sea marks,
so he's hard to find.

You can throw buoys in and see
where they're drifting and then look.

The captain of the Sultan is coming here.

We turned around to pick him up...

He fell in when we tried to get him
him up. Since then he has been gone.

Unbelievable. You turned around
to pick him up...

- and sent a person
in a rescue suit in.

You got him, but you lost him
him again. Is that correct?

Yes, we had him,
but he fell back in.

We think he's dead,
since they lost him.

It's dead weight,
so that's probably why they couldn't get him up.

As the sun sets, Billikin's
crew gets ready to work.

Toma the Samoan
puts on a life jacket.

No one is taking risks tonight.

Pay attention, Jim.

My boy needs new shoes.

Toma and Ty know that a man
fell overboard on the Sultan.

They know someone is missing,
but not who.

I haven't told them.
They need to concentrate on this.

It can sound harsh and cruel.

You don't want
anybody to go and think about it.

Once Billikin's net is set out,
you pull out the sorting table.

Well done, buddy.

The captain steers towards the pontoons,
and the crew takes a break.

Of course, they want to know,
who fell overboard.

One of the guys at Sultan died.

Manu and his brother
work at Sultan.

It's not good.

Hope it's not them.


northwest of Dutch Harbor

- Lady Alaska
has been caught in bad weather.

Captain Pete Liske is concerned
about the crew on deck.

Swirling snow and high waves make
make it harder to work with the pots.

It's very bad.
The waves are four meters high.

- so they hit one meter above.

It's wet and they've been
been out since 11am.

It's almost eight o'clock,
so they've been on for nine hours.

They haven't been inside.

Crab fishermen are used to
working in dangerous conditions.

But experience can protect them
from cold and exhaustion.

Lady Alaska sets out the last of her
of her 90 pots.

Now the crew can
can finally eat and sleep.


on the other side of the Bering Sea.

- the Retriever
has also ended up in bad weather.

Captain Stone has passed Northwestern
Northwestern and continues north.

We usually catch crabs here.
But there's no guarantee.

So far, Retriever
Retriever hasn't released a single pot.

They are nine hours
behind the rest of the fleet.

Now it's time to make money.
Show me the money.

Fishing alone is great.
You have the crabs all to yourself.

When you're not fishing,
it can get very depressing.

The crew can finally
put out pots and pans.

But the weather is getting worse.

The men are exposed to
to cold precipitation and waves.

We've put out all the pots.

They lay out the pots systematically.
One pot for every 160 meters.

The crew and pliers
are soaked.

They must be wet and frozen,
but they won't come in.

Someone has clogged the toilet.

A toilet stop on a rocking boat
is an unpleasant problem.

The guilty party doesn't admit it.
I hate it.

They have to do it themselves,
so they let someone else do it.

The men are soaking wet. Fighting
against the Bering Sea is bad enough.

Now even the breaks suck.

There is another toilet,
but it belongs to the captain.

The problem doesn't go away,
so the captain comes to the rescue.

Clean the toilet.
We don't need it.

You can use the boss's toilet -

- but if you want me to flush after you,
I'll let you do it on the deck.

He means business.

Heater and a toilet.
That's all I need.

Once everyone is satisfied,
the crew returns.

We have posted a yarn,
that goes here...

Here's the boat. We're gonna come here
and put it in the canyon.

We probably put out 25 pots.

The captain turned the boat,
so the storm is coming to starboard.

He does it for our safety,
and it makes the job easier.

Next net
needs to be set out into deeper waters

- so the crew
find more rope.

They used to have three lengths.

Now it takes them five to reach the bottom,
which is 225 meters down.

That's good speed. We put more
more rope. Everyone knows what to do.

The wind is blowing at 11 m/sec,
and the waves are ten meters high.

Due to the late start
the crew has no other choice

- than working all night.

It's 22.00
on the stormy Bering Sea.

Most boats
have set out their pots.

It's a great opportunity for
crew to eat and sleep.

I've been looking forward to this.

But at Maverick, the rest is over.

Captain Quashnick doesn't want to
wait 12 hours to see the results.

Donna is in the galley making
a big meal for the crew.

Hiram ... Hiram.
It's time to wake up.

Are you awake?
It's time to get up.

I hate doing it.

They say it's bad luck
to have a woman on board.

But the crew feels lucky.
They get hot, home-cooked food.

They always get this kind of food.

If I can make it a little more homely,
I'll feel better.

The meal makes the men
think about life on land.

A good way is to let the girls
text and email you.

When you come home,
you find them in bed with someone else.

That has never happened to me.

Me neither.
I buy my ladies.

Blake takes in the first pot.

Now you're going to see crabs.

It was terrible.
It only contained 10-15 crabs.

That's all there is to it.

Okay, yes.

- How many did we get?
- I forgot to count.

I got so excited.
We'll have to count next time.

I thought we would get 140 pieces
per pot. It was only four hours.

It can be a bit tough.

It's not much ...

It stinks.

We're hitting rock bottom.
I hope it gets better.

After the first sad tears...

- Captain Rick thinks the bottom is
hard instead of soft and clayey.

The large Greenland crabs
move in large groups.

They dig in the nutrient-rich soil
and feed.

They're coming soon.

We're going to see improvement
in two teaspoons, I hope.



- Uh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- That was a good one.

- They were hiding.
- Take them up the ramp.

- Open.
- Wait, wait, wait, wait.

- Damn it, damn it, damn it!
- It broke.

- Sort the crabs.
- It all went out.

The weight destroyed the sorting table.
It will be repaired quickly.

- How did this happen?
- A lot of weight is a positive.

It turned out just as the captain predicted:
Jackpot!

You can see fine jumbo crabs.
The guys have their hands full.

That's a good sign. Great crabs.

We get beautiful Greenlandic crabs out of the Bering Sea
out of the Bering Sea tonight.

It gets better and better
with every teether.

But tonight's victory is bittersweet.

The Bering Sea has taken six lives,
but has brought good fortune to Maverick.

The crew is exhausted,
and they have a lot of crabs.

- A vacation hat.
- A 45,000 kg lucky hat.

In the next episode
of "Deadly Catch":

The first pots of the season are hauled up ...

We'll see who was right...

You can go from poor to rich
to rich in two teaspoons.

... who was wrong...

... and who's out of luck.

- Two pots, zero crabs.
- Not a single crab.