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.
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August 19, 2010
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joe said:
See Gina, another NITWIT, just to stupid to leave things alone.
RIP phil
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August 21, 2010
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KAREN said:
I CRY FOR YOU I PRAY FOR YOU I WILL ALWAYS MISS YOU YOU PHIL & CREW ARE A PART OF MY FAMILY AND ALWAYS WILL
R.I.P. PHIL LUV KAREN IN JOLIET ILL.
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August 21, 2010
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Ocean Queen said:
Dear God…my prayers are not ONLY for Captain Phil and his family now, they are ALSO that Joe finally stops talking and lets us mourn in peace! UGH!
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August 21, 2010
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joe said:
see gina, just ANOTHER nitwit that just will not drop it. UGH to you dip S Queen, go sink yourself.
RIP phil
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August 22, 2010
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Gina said:
Can everyone just quit with the little negative remarks towards this Joe guy…without defending him, he’s pretty much kept his opinions and comments civil as of late and the constant comments towards him just keep feeding the fire.
Again this site SHOULD be geared towards respecting Phil and his family not trashing one another.
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August 22, 2010
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joe said:
hey gina, hopefully these little forum aggerators will listen to you and try refraining themselves from the lil innuendos. thanks. must make them feel big.
RIP phil
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August 23, 2010
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Linda Moore said:
He will surely be missed.I watched his show all the time,I didn’t even know him but I felt like I did.God Bless his boys,just do the best you can,thats all anyone can ask of you,you had a wonderful dad don’t ever forget that
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August 23, 2010
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Gina said:
Yeah Joe…I think it might go for you too though. Every time you comment back to things that are being said the fire is being fed, so maybe just quit firing back or making little comments as well. Maybe all of the negative comments should be stopped and instead it should be just positive heartfelt comments about Phil and his family and friends.
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August 23, 2010
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Sue said:
Phil, I miss your smile an laughs an jokes. Above all the crab farts. The lessons you were teaching those two wonderful young men. Who now have to grow up to fast because your gone. Those are mighty big shoes you left to fill. To Phils family sons an loved ones be strong an care for each other. Phil is watching proud an waiting for that day he see’s you all again. May the sea be calm the pots be full the sun shine down an warm your face. To sit an talk an stay a while. Those who wish they could see just one more smile. Know Phil is not gone his sprit is still here. Looking down watching over those now with no fear. His eyes closed his hard working hands to rest. God showed he only takes the best. With brokem hearts we let you go. But with sad hearts we still all miss so our dear capt Phil. Rip Phil may you watch over your sons with a smile.To Josh an Jake Remember the happy times an smile. I pray to see you all next season at home on C.M.
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August 24, 2010
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Steve said:
Very upsetting to hear about Phil, you could tell he loved fishing with you guys and was very proud of you both, sorry for your loss
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August 25, 2010
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Danny Lill said:
hi, im from the uk, we havnt seen this on the tv yet, ive just found out through a friend, i must say i am devastated that this has happened and my condolences, thoughts and prayers are with his family.
i dont know what to say…………….
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August 28, 2010
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Carrie said:
I will miss Capt. Phil’s rude sense of humor, I loved his quick wit, My 9yr old son has asked on several occassion’s if the crab fart is real even after Capt. Keith explained why they are not possible. I just laugh while we are crabbing.
RIP Phil and blessing to all that knew him and loved him.
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August 28, 2010
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Peter Dennis said:
RIP Captain Phil you will be sorely missed
Pete
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August 30, 2010
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Sue said:
The sea is now calm the ships all in. God took home one of the best ever captains there has ever been. He looked ruff an yelled alot. But his love for all. The soft heart the jokes an pranks. The teaching of his two sons with tough love. But as he said alot he knew time was all to short. The sea was calling him home where he belongs. His sons know the love he felt for them an crew. The teachings now done. Its time for them to fly. Phil is now watching from above in the sky. He is in the clouds the sea an salt, wind an snow. When i watch the show now in my eyes will be a tear for him. The loose of a great man fearless on the sea. Ready to give up all for his sons to take them home make them well stand by them close. Even now he is still here watching over all those dear. Josh an Jake he loved both so dear family friends it was his time to go home. Rip Phil we sure will miss you!!!
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August 31, 2010
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Dave said:
We’ve not seen this in the UK yet and it came as a shock!
I want to say that Phil reminded me of my Dad who recently passed away. i could see the tiredness in his eyes.
i hope you are at peace now Phil and that you sail in heaven.
You will be missed beyond words.
Dave.