Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch” paid tribute to a former member of its Wizard crew during Friday’s episode, honoring Gregory Colburn, the nephew of longtime captain Keith Colburn, who died in May at the age of 32.
At the close of the July 17 episode, the network aired a dedication reading, “This episode is dedicated to Monte’s son Gregory Colburn, Wizard crewman 2018–2022,” accompanied by a video montage chronicling Gregory’s time aboard the vessel. Gregory, whose full name was Gregory Martin Urjevich Colburn, died on May 19 in Chico, California. According to a recap of the episode published by TV Insider, his death followed an unexpected motorcycle accident that month, though his family’s published obituary does not specify a cause of death and no official cause has been publicly confirmed.
Gregory served as a crewman aboard the F/V Wizard, the commercial crab fishing vessel captained by his uncle, Keith Colburn, from 2018 through 2022. Keith has appeared on “Deadliest Catch” since the show’s third season, which aired in 2007, making the Wizard and its crew a long-running fixture of the Discovery Channel series. Gregory’s father, Monte Colburn, serves as relief captain and mate aboard the Wizard, having worked alongside his brother Keith in the Bering Sea crab fishing industry for decades.
Born November 21, 1993, in Lakeview, Oregon, Gregory grew up in Kings Beach, California, on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe, where he attended school from kindergarten through 12th grade within the Tahoe Truckee Unified School District. Before finding his way to commercial fishing, he worked in restaurants around the North Lake Tahoe area. According to his obituary, Gregory eventually “found his calling fishing crab on the Bering Sea in Alaska,” a pursuit that connected him to generations of his family’s long history in the demanding commercial fishing industry.
His obituary describes a deep sense of pride in both his work at sea and his time on television. “Gregory was proud of his time at sea and of being on The Discovery Channel reality show Deadliest Catch,” the obituary reads. Viewers who followed his appearances on the series came to know him for his dedication and resilience navigating one of the most physically demanding professions in the country, often cited as among the most dangerous jobs in America due to the harsh conditions of Bering Sea crab fishing.
Between fishing seasons, Gregory made his home in Chico, California, where he met his fiancée, Caitlin Nenadal. The couple became engaged, and according to his obituary, Gregory “lived for Caitlin, to whom he was engaged, and for riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle.” Those who knew him remembered him for the warmth he brought to his relationships both on and off the boat. “Gregory had a heart of gold which shone through his eyes and his smile; his kind heart was rivaled only by his loyalty to his family and friends,” his obituary states. “Gregory impacted all whose lives he touched and he will be sorely missed.”
Gregory is survived by his fiancée, Caitlin Nenadal; his daughter, Scarlette Colburn; his parents, Catherine and Monte Colburn; his grandfather, Martin Urjevich; five siblings; and a wide circle of aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. His family has not publicly disclosed additional details surrounding the circumstances of his death and has asked for privacy as they continue to grieve.
The tribute aired during an episode that also captured a tense moment for the Wizard crew, as the show documented a life-threatening incident in which a crew member fell overboard amid severe weather and 22-foot seas. According to the episode, the crew managed to complete a successful rescue without serious injury, with Keith Colburn reflecting afterward on how close the situation had come to a far worse outcome. The crew then returned to work, hauling in a full quota of crab despite the dangerous conditions, before the episode closed with the dedication to Gregory.
Gregory’s death adds to a series of losses the “Deadliest Catch” community has experienced over the show’s nearly two-decade run. The series has previously paid tribute to other crew members and captains who have died, including longtime captain Phil Harris, who died in 2010 following a stroke, and deckhand Todd Meadows, whose death was similarly honored on the show earlier this year with a posthumous appearance and tribute alongside his children. The recurring losses reflect both the physical risks inherent to commercial fishing in the Bering Sea and the close-knit nature of the fishing families the show has followed since its debut.
“Deadliest Catch” airs Fridays at 8 p.m. Eastern and Pacific time on Discovery Channel, continuing to follow multiple fishing vessels and their crews as they navigate the Bering Sea’s crab fishing seasons, an industry the show has documented for nearly 20 years. The Wizard, under Keith Colburn’s command, remains one of the program’s central vessels, with Monte Colburn continuing to serve alongside his brother in the years since Gregory’s departure from the crew in 2022.
Fans of the series took to social media following Friday’s broadcast to share their condolences after learning of Gregory’s death, with many recalling his presence on the show during his four seasons aboard the Wizard. The tribute marked one of the more emotional moments of the current season, offering viewers a chance to remember a young man whose family’s connection to Bering Sea crab fishing spans multiple generations, and whose own passion for life at sea became a defining part of his identity both on camera and off.
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