‘Deadliest Catch' star Sig Hansen confronts mortality after life-threatening health scares at sea
After decades of battling brutal conditions in the Bering Sea, Hansen, 59, is now facing something even more formidable than icy waves — his own mortality.
The veteran fisherman, known for his grit and leadership aboard the F/V Northwestern, told Fox News Digital that a string of personal health scares at sea has fundamentally changed the way he views both fishing and family.
"Honestly, with family, it actually opened my eyes," Hansen candidly said. "I mean, I want to spend more time with them, and it's like you do have more of an appreciation… you do see things differently with age and all that."
"Honestly, with family, it actually opened my eyes. I mean, I want to spend more time with them, and it's like you do have more of an appreciation… you do see things differently with age and all that."
As for his mortality, the sea captain said the clock's ticking, and he wants to be a better father, grandfather and husband to his family.
Hansen — who's spoken in the past about surviving a heart attack and enduring medical setbacks while at sea — said the close calls have made him want to become a better man, especially at home.
WATCH: 'DEADLIEST CATCH' STAR REFLECTS ON AGING, FAMILY AND FEAR AT SEA
"If you're a terrible father, you want to be a better father," he reflected. "And then if you can't be a better father, then now you're a good grandfather. So, you're trying to make up for all this lost time."
But when it comes to deep-sea fishing — the career that made him famous — Hansen admitted the fear has deepened.
"I'm much more fearful," he confessed. "You do have the Coast Guard — and they're just amazing… guys and gals out there that are out looking over everybody, but at the end of the day… there's no doctor. It's scary."
He recalled one terrifying moment that nearly cost him his life — not on deck, but shortly after returning from sea.
WATCH: 'DEADLIEST CATCH' STAR SIG HANSEN REVEALS HIS BIGGEST REGRETS, MISTAKES FROM DANGEROUS CAREER
"I was going to take the boat to Seattle… it's about a seven-day trip," Hansen recalled. But his brother offered to handle the voyage, so Hansen could fly home early — a decision that may have saved his life.
Before leaving, Hansen took a hard fall on the ice and hit his nose. He brushed it off and flew home. He waited a day in Dutch Harbor before continuing his journey. But once he got back, Hansen explained how things took a scary turn.
"I woke up and… I had an infection and my face looked just like it was swollen," he said. "It was like a golf ball out of my nostril."
An alarmed Hansen shouted to his wife, "Did you poison me?" She replied, "No, we got to get you to the hospital."
WATCH: 'DEADLIEST CATCH' STAR SIG HANSEN SHARES THE DANGERS HE'S FACED AT SEA THIS SEASON
Doctors didn't waste time. He was injected with antibiotics immediately. "She said basically, you know, another few hours, you'd be gone."
As Hansen looked back, he was certain of one thing: If he'd been at sea when the infection hit, the results could've been fatal.
"Had I been on that boat, I don't think the Coast Guard would have been there soon enough… That's all it would've took. One little slip in the ice — and then you got the infection — and that's how quick things can happen."
The Norwegian American has weathered countless storms and personal health scares during his time on "Deadliest Catch," including a heart attack in 2016.
While Hansen isn't quite ready to hang up his captain's hat, he explained that his priorities may have shifted, as the call of home is growing louder than the call of the sea.
Since he suffered a heart attack on the job, he's been more cautious and more aware of what's at stake, as he told Fox News Digital what retirement may look like for him in the future.
"I've been thinking about it ever since… more fearful when you put pots on the boat, more fearful for everybody else," he said. "And then you start thinking, 'My wife has spent decades waiting for me. Why not… give the last whatever I got to her?' That's what I'm doing."
The veteran sea captain has been married to his wife June for more than 20 years.
Throughout their decades-long marriage, Sig adopted June's two daughters — Mandy and Nina Hansen.
Fans of "Deadliest Catch" would recognize Mandy, who's stepped into the spotlight alongside her father aboard the F/V Northwestern.
She welcomed a daughter named Sailor Marie in November 2021 with her husband, Clark Pederson.
In addition to their blended family, Sig also has a biological daughter, Melissa, from a previous marriage that ended in divorce.
"Deadliest Catch" airs Fridays at 8 p.m. on Discovery Channel.
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