Sig Hansen is a staple onDeadliest Catch, and he’s back as captain of the F/V Northwestern for Season 22. But amid his years of dedication to the show, Hansen has also dealt with some medical issues that have majorly affected him and left fans worried about his future on the Discovery Channel show.
Below, we rounded up everything to know about Hansen’s various health scares and more. Scroll down for a refresher.
What happened to Sig Hansen?
Hansen suffered a heart attack while filmingDeadliest Catch in March 2016. “It was a strange heart attack,” Hansen told Yahoo. “It wasn’t like you see in the movies. I had this really sharp, sharp pain, like a knife, right behind my chest plate. It just kept pushing, and it was making me more angry.”
When he came to, Hansen said he was in “denial” about what was happening and wanted to continue fishing. But after some tests, medics discovered he had a “full-blown heart attack,” and he was medevaced to a hospital in Anchorage, Alaska.
“I think what saved my life was the shot you get for any blood clots,” Hansen admitted. “There was a blood clot lodged in one of my arteries, and it dissolved it.”
Another health episode followed in October 2018. This time, cameras weren’t rolling, but Hansen opened up about the “slight heart attack” when Deadliest Catch returned the following spring. The heart attack was triggered by an allergic reaction to an antibiotic he was taking for a sinus infection. “The nurse said I probably had less than 10 minutes,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “They gave me the EpiPen and then my body went into a shock.”
Hansen told TV Insider that he officially quit smoking after that incident. “When I got out the next day, day after, then I said to myself, ‘You know what, that’s it.’ I was embarrassed and ashamed of myself, and that’s when I threw [the cigarettes] away,” he revealed.
During the Season 21 finale ofDeadliest Catch in 2025, Hansen had another medical scare. He collapsed on his boat and was hospitalized due to a bout of severe exhaustion.
Did Sig Hansen leaveDeadliest Catch?
In September 2010, it was reported that Hansen would not be returning for Season 7 ofDeadliest Catch. However, the following month, it was announced that he would be coming back to the show.
The brief hiatus came amid issues withDeadliest Catch’s network, Discovery. “We have been through a lot over the past year and unfortunately given the situation with Discovery, we are unable to continue participating inDeadliest Catch,” Hansen said in a joint statement with Jonathan Hillstrand and Anthony Hillstrand. “It has been a fantastic ride, and we wish the best to all of the amazing and supportiveCatch fans we have met over the years.”
Discovery had sued the Hillstrands, alleging they didn’t finish work on aDeadliest Catch spinoff they were working on. To show his support for the brothers, Hansen released a statement saying,“I want people to know the captains stand together, and me and my brothers support them 100 percent.”
In the end, Hansen did not end up leavingDeadliest Catch. It’s unclear what negotiations he made with the network to work out his return. The Hillstrands came back to the show, as well.
And while doctors have since urged Hansen to retire from crab fishing amid his health issues, he has said he has no plans to do so at this time. After his hospitalization in the Season 21 finale, he said, “I don’t see that happening. Quite frankly, I don’t want to.”
He also told People, “I think I’ve got a few more years left in me. I think about it all the time. And when I do think about retiring, it’s only because I’ve lost so many people, and I’m more fearful every time we go out on the water. And so that’s very true, a part of it is just, you think about your own mortality, and I’m fearful.”
Hansen also cited wanting to slow down and spend more time with his family as a reason he’s starting to open up to the idea of retiring. “I used to laugh at all these old-timers when they brag about their grandkids and talk about how that’s their whole world,” he admitted. “I’m like, ‘You guys are nuts. Can’t we talk about fishing?’ And now, I’m one of those guys. Can’t help it. And I love it. I really do.”
How many times has Sig Hansen been married?
Hansen has been married two times. His first marriage was to Lisa Eckstrom. It’s unclear how long they were together, but they reportedly separated before the birth of their daughter, Melissa Eckstrom.
Melissa accused Hansen of sexually abusing her when she was a child in the early 1990s, which he denied, and no criminal charges were ever brought against him. “We have concluded that it’s outside our charging standards and we’re going to maintain our original decision not to charge Mr. Hansen,” the deputy prosecutor told Seattle Times in 2017.
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However, a judge ruled that Melissa could move forward with her civil case in 2018. The verdict has not been publicized.
Hansen is now married to wife June Hansen. Their wedding date is unknown, but they have been together for more than 20 years. June was diagnosed with cancer in 2019, and since she is a fairly private person, there has not been an update on her condition. With June, Hansen has two adopted daughters, Mandy Hansen and Nina Hansen.
Deadliest Catch, Season 22, Fridays, 8/7c, Discovery Channel