What Happened to ‘Deadliest Catch’s Keith Colburn? Health Issues and More

Deadliest Catch is in the midst of its 22nd season, and Keith Colburn is back on the F/V Wizard for another season of crab fishing. Since Colburn had some health issues in Season 20, fans have been worried about his fate on the show the last two seasons, but he’s still going strong.

Colburn made his Deadliest Catch debut during Season 3 and has been on the Discovery Channel series ever since. He captains the F/V Wizard with his brother, Monte “Mouse” Colburn.

Scroll down for a refresher on Colburn’s scary past medical issues and more.

What happened to Keith Colburn?

During Season 20 of Deadliest Catch, which aired in 2024, Colburn suffered a medical emergency while aboard the F/V Wizard. After an argument with Monte, Colburn lost consciousness and was not responsive. When he came to, he noted that he couldn’t feel his arm and his left side was numb.

The situation became more dire, with fears that Colburn may have had a heart attack or stroke. Monte received correspondence from medical professionals and was urged to get the boat to the harbor so Colburn could get medical attention.

Although it took several hours, Monte eventually navigated the boat to land, and Colburn was medevaced to a hospital. Colburn tested negative for troponin, a common indicator of an acute cardiac event, but doctors still didn’t rule out a heart attack.

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After going through more tests, Colburn told his brother he had a transient ischemic attack (TIA), which is often referred to as a “mini-stroke.” A TIA “is a short period of symptoms similar to those of a stroke. It’s caused by a brief blockage of blood flow to the brain. A TIA usually lasts only a few minutes and doesn’t cause long-term damage,” according to Mayo Clinic. However, the site also notes that TIA could be a warning sign that an actual stroke is imminent.

In April 2021, Colburn was hospitalized after contracting COVID-19. He spent more than eight days in the hospital after quarantining and then getting diagnosed with pneumonia.

Does Keith Colburn have a wife?

Yes, Colburn is married to Florence Colburn and they have two children, Caelan and Sienna.

Vivien Killilea/Getty Images

In 2012, Colburn noted that Florence was his “wife and business partner” for 25 years, which means they’ve now been together for nearly 40 years.

Caelan graduated from Southern Methodist University in 2018, per an Instagram post on Colburn’s feed. According to a news article, Sienna was 15 in 2013, which means she’s in her mid-20s now.

Deadliest Catch, Season 22, Fridays, 8/7c, Discovery Channel