Posted on February 19, 2010 - by Morgan Howard
The Brave Last Days of Capt. Phil
This article comes from People magazine
Before his death on Feb. 9 at 53, Phil Harris, the tough and colorful captain of the Cornelia Marie on Discovery’s Deadliest Catch, fought against all odds, came out of a medically-induced coma following lengthy surgery, spent a few more days with friends and family – and set his two sons on a course for a strong future.
“I think that miraculous recovery that happened so rapidly and blew the doctors’ minds away was so that he could say the things that he had to say to the people he had to say them to,” says Dan Mittman, Harris’s best friend for 36 years.
As Harris recovered from his recent stroke at an Anchorage hospital, “I got five days to actually talk with him,” says son Josh, 26. “We had nine days total that we were there to enjoy a few moments with him. We had our closest people there and it was awesome. ”
Coping with Pain
Phil Harris began this January’s opilio crab-fishing season dealing with injury and concerns about his health on the high seas, according to friends and family. “You talk about pain,” says Josh, “but my dad had four crushed disks in his back, so he had been in pain the whole trip and that affected his fishing, too.”
According to Todd Stanley, the Catch producer and cameraman who’d spent years with Harris, “he seemed like he’d just gotten tireder and tireder. I mean, his pulmonary embolism [in 2008] really did it in for him.”
After hurricane-force winds knocked Harris from his bunk to a desk two years ago, and Stanley and the men on the boat forced Harris back to port to address his blood clot and bad health, the man who had an on-the-job habit of smoking cigarettes, eating high-calorie diets with his crew, drinking cases of Red Bull and downing pots of coffee knew he had to alter his lifestyle.
“He did cut back on energy drinks, quite a bit from what he’d usually do,” says Josh, “but [doctors] have determined that smoking was the cause of this, and that was always his biggest habit. He had changed a lot of his habits but just could never kick the smoking. He started working with that electronic cigarette but, not used to it, he didn’t know how to charge it. He just kept smoking.”
‘Just Paralyzed’
While off-loading crab in Alaska on Jan. 29, Cornelia Marie engineer Steve Ward found Phil Harris on the floor of his room, unable to move. Harris called for son Josh, who in turn, got Todd Stanley to stay with him while Josh called 911.
“The whole left side of his face was in paralysis, and that was hard,” Josh says. “He couldn’t move his arms or anything, he was just paralyzed on the floor.”
After being treated “damn near two years to the day,” says Josh, at the same St. Paul Sound clinic that helped him with his blood clot, Phil was medivacked to a hospital in Anchorage and underwent a long operation.
Crucial Days in Anchorage
A few days after Jan. 31, Phil Harris came out of a medically induced coma and right away started asking for friends to spend time with him.
“Phil and I have sat up and had many arguments about what it is to produce a good story,” says cameraman Stanley. “When he called me into the room that day, after 20 minutes of trying to understand what he was saying, because he could barely talk, he scribbled on a piece of paper, ‘Got to get the ending, ending to the story.’ I said, ‘Do you want me filming?’ He just looked at me with those blue eyes, man, and he was shaking his head yes, and shaking his hand with excitement.”
‘So He Could Be at Peace’
In the four days prior to his death, “he was Phil,” says Mittman. “We sat up and talked until midnight, not constantly because of catnaps, but that was our quiet time away from the cameras. We talked in detail, and he had regrets, and he shared them with me and he probably shared them with his sons. He accomplished what he needed to get done so he could be at peace.”
Harris talked to younger son Jake, 24, whom he told PEOPLE in 2008 “has fishing in his blood,” about the business. “I’m going to be looking at that [captain's] chair in a different way,” Jake says. “We definitely talked about it, but I just didn’t expect this to happen so soon. That’s definitely something where I would take over and take the responsibility.”
As for his older son, “he told me to get out of fishing,” Josh says. “I do love fishing, don’t get me wrong, but it was one of those deals where he wanted to see me do something better. He gave me the encouragement. My life goal was to show him I could be a man, you know, and I could fish, and I did the best job that I could, and he recognized that as being a good job and gave me kudos.”
But on Feb. 9, after walking for a bit and working on physical therapy, Phil Harris sat down in his bed next to best friend Dan Mittman to take a break. “He said, ‘Danny, I don’t feel as good as I did yesterday,’ ” Mittman recalls. “They rolled about five doctors through there and they said, ‘You can stay here,’ but, I understood, though.”
Later that day, Phil died with his closest family and friends surrounding him.
885 Comments
We'd love to hear yours!
Leave a Reply
Here's your chance to speak.
Visit My Website
August 4, 2011
Permalink
valentin said:
may his soul rest in peace.
i loved the show.
Visit My Website
August 19, 2011
Permalink
ankit samuel said:
may his soul rest in peace .i have watched him on the tv .gr8 personality he was.
Visit My Website
August 23, 2011
Permalink
Orthopedic Brace said:
Hi, i think that i saw you visited my weblog so i came to “return the favor”.I am attempting to find things to improve my site!I suppose its ok to use some of your ideas!!
Visit My Website
August 23, 2011
Permalink
cristian said:
sempre vicino nel dolore della perdita del grande capitano.seguo sempre il bellissimo programma sulla pesca dei granchi , ma senza il capt.Phil non è più lo stesso.
Visit My Website
August 25, 2011
Permalink
The Lottery Black Book said:
I like the helpful information you provide in your articles. I’ll bookmark your weblog and check again here frequently. I’m quite certain I will learn a lot of new stuff right here! Good luck for the next!
Visit My Website
August 25, 2011
Permalink
JIM KAY said:
PHIL WAS A DRUNK, FAR CRY FROM A HERO OR FATHER
Visit My Website
August 27, 2011
Permalink
aaron mac said:
pull ya head in phil ,no time for ya negative crap,go hang with that loser derick .two peas in a pod
Visit My Website
September 5, 2011
Permalink
Tara said:
Phil Harris was one hell of a man. Sure he drank and smoked. But he loved his kids and his family with all of his heart and you could see that any day of the week that you watched his shows. He may not be a hero to a lot of people but he was a hero to his sons and anyone else who was close to him at all. He was one of the only reasons I watched Deadliest Catch. I will miss him and I don’t even know him.
Visit My Website
September 5, 2011
Permalink
JIM KAY said:
Anyone can be a father but it takes a special father to be a DAD.
Not sure how many would want a dad as a role model that just drank, smoked and god knows whatever. That would be 3 of the least characteristics of a role model.
if it was a athlete, or cop or politician that did just those 3 things he would be labeled a bum and thrown off a team or off the force or out of office.
yup, just what I wanted when I grew for my dad to be not just one of those characteristics BUT ALL 3 . lol DON”T THINK SO.
some have a strange idea of what a hero is or REAL DAD gezzzzzzzzzzz
Visit My Website
September 5, 2011
Permalink
JIM KAY said:
Yes TARA, A SHOW, WATCHED ON A SHOW. big big difference than REAL LIFE sweetie. everyone looks good on a show especially after all the edits, sound tracks, deletions etc etc etc. please, think outside the box and try being realistic
Visit My Website
September 10, 2011
Permalink
B said:
umm who proof read this article omg Tireder and tireder may we try More and more tired
Visit My Website
October 7, 2011
Permalink
Melissa Kzinowek said:
Phil was a great captain n a wonderful person. I watched n still watch The Cornelia Marie faithfully. May God rest his soul in peace…Prayers to all his family and friends.
Visit My Website
October 7, 2011
Permalink
Gp said:
Jim Kay….. You are an idiot…. The man is dead and you are ripping him apart.. Sad… What kind of person does that make you? One I would not associate with…. I bet you don’t have the balls to say those things to his face when he was alive…. I picture you as a feeble little man, balding, god fearing, and masturbating to porn on your computer nightly… Get a life and do something constructive with yourself….jerk……
Visit My Website
October 8, 2011
Permalink
B said:
hey Jim Kay i guess you are perfect and n never made any mistakes.. so yee with out any sin cast the first stone you wonderful person . Phil was a father to the best of his ability and i think he didn’t do too badly
Visit My Website
October 13, 2011
Permalink
JimmyB said:
Just started to watch the 7th series. I am not an avid fan but have watched quite a few episodes. So I was shocked to see this episode start with the death of captain Phil.
i have always been amazed at the courage of all the crews and know that only a few people could fish on these boats let alone captain a crew. I feel sorry for his family. He did the best he could -faults and all and he achieved a lot in his life. I am amazed that someone could take time to demean his life.
So Jim Kay you come across as a feeble and limited individual whose opinions very few people probably listen to and who is possibly not as great a dad as he thinks he is himself.
Live and Let live and look for positives in life.
Visit My Website
October 13, 2011
Permalink
JIM KAY said:
NEVER SAID i WAS PERFECT BUT PHIL WAS FAR FROM PEOPLE. SO DON’T COMPARE HIM TO A HERO OR SUCH A GREAT FATHER. WHAT YOU SEE ON TV IS JUST THAT A SHOW. BY HIS OWN ADMISSION AND OTHERS HE WAS A DRUNK, DRUGGIE AND NOT AROUND MUCH FOR HIS KIDS. SO PLEASE DON’T EVEN PLACE HIM IN THE SAME CATEGORY AS A REAL HERO LIKE A SOLDIER, COP OR FIREMAN THAT TRULY DID SOMETHING TO BE CLASSIFIED AS A TRUE HERO. NOT YOUR BUMBLING DRUNK THAT GOES FISHING AND DRINKS HIMSELF TO SLEEP.
PLEASE STOP WITH THE HERO CRAP. IF YOU ENJOY HIM ON A TV SHOW THAN FINE BUT JUST PLEASE DON’T COMPARE HIM TO A REAL HERO, IDIOTS
Visit My Website
October 13, 2011
Permalink
JimmyB said:
My post was to sympathise with his family. Please read my post. This is a humane response to a death.
If you think you’re a wit, you’re half right.
Visit My Website
October 14, 2011
Permalink
Gp said:
@ Jim Kay… Give it up dude…. You sound like such a moron… I don’t consider him a hero, but a man that chose to live life to the fullest… Get off your high horse and quit ripping the man.. He did the best he could… Would you want people ripping you about your faults when you are dead and gone? I don’t think your family and friends would appreciate it.. Focus your energy on something worthwhile…
Visit My Website
October 17, 2011
Permalink
Dark said:
My deepest sympathy to his family and friends.
I feel the same way about Captain Phil dying too.
Visit My Website
October 17, 2011
Permalink
Ida said:
I still miss Phil. He was one of the best and usually made me laugh. He was almost one of my favorite captains on the DC.
Visit My Website
October 18, 2011
Permalink
Marie said:
He will always be my favorite. I know that he is happy wherever he is right now.
Visit My Website
October 21, 2011
Permalink
barry said:
r.i.p phil harris.
Visit My Website
November 17, 2011
Permalink
Donna said:
Still cry when I think of Captain Phil. Always will be my favorite captain. RIP Phil. God bless Josh and Jake .
Visit My Website
January 2, 2012
Permalink
Maria Augustyn said:
Having just rewatched the season again, i found i cried more now then i did the first time i watched it. Captain Phil reminded me so much of my Dad, who passed away in 2003, in mannerisms and in looks. I enjoyed watching the show because it bought back lots of good memories of my own Dad. I feel for the boys and the rest of Phil’s family and i hope they are all doing well coming up to his 2nd year anniversary of his death. Much love to you and your future journeys.
Visit My Website
January 5, 2012
Permalink
cristian said:
Ciao scrivo,per dirvi di tornare quel grande barca che eravate anche senza il grande capitano,guardo le nuove puntate ma sena di voi al top della vostra bravure non sono piu’ le stesse ,un saluto dalla ella italia