'Deadliest Catch' star's haunting last words to his kids moment before fatal fall

Deadliest Catch star Todd Meadows told his children he was "being safe" moments before falling overboard and dying during a February 25 episode filmed in Alaska's Bering Sea. 

The Season 22 finale showed the emotional buildup and aftermath of his death, though not the fall itself.

In a FaceTime call shown on the episode, Meadows promised his son a salmon fishing trip once he returned home. His daughter told him, "I hope you're being safe. If you're not being safe, you better be safe," to which he replied, "Oh, I'm being safe." 

In a separate confessional, Meadows said joining the crew had "been one of my dreams and goals," explaining he wanted "to make it and to try to support my family," despite the difficulty of leaving his three young children behind.

The episode also showed Captain Rick Shelford's response after hearing screams and learning a crew member was overboard. He immediately turned the boat around, and the crew worked to pull Meadows from the water after nearly six and a half minutes, performing CPR as Shelford could be heard saying, "Come on, man, come on." 

A producer eventually told him, "He's gone, Rick."

Shelford first announced the death in March, calling it "the most tragic day in the history of the Aleutian Lady." 

A castmate said conditions were calm but the water was near freezing. 

Meadows' official cause of death was drowning with probable hypothermia. 

His mother has previously asked the network not to profit from footage of his death. The family has now reportedly consulted a lawyer about a possible wrongful death claim. 

A GoFundMe for the family has also raised over $85,000.