Johnathan Hillstrand is back with the F/V Time Bandit during Deadliest Catch season 20. The boat captain battles against 18-foot waves and switching tides all in a bid to haul as much crab as he can before the end of the season. Johnathan has the “life scared out of him” when one of his Time Bandit crew members hits the deck in episode 11.
Deadliest Catch cast members are no strangers to injuries, near-death experiences, and tragic loss. The Discovery Channel show sees many crew members put their lives on the line to make a living. Thankfully, in season 20, Johnathan’s team ends the season celebrating. But, it doesn’t come without its scary moments.
Deadliest Catch captain gets ‘scared’
Captain Johnathan Hillstrand and his team need to haul 8,000 lb of red king crab before they can turn back and head toward town during Deadliest Catch season 20 episode 11.
Johnathan thankfully has his brother, Neal, on hand. Neal works as an engineer on the Time Bandit.
As the brothers and their crew head out to sea to collect their pots, a crew member named Richard gets tangled in line and hits the deck.
He’s heard shouting: “Cut the line… get it off of me!” as the other fisherman scrambles to cut the line.
For a moment, Richard’s life hangs in the balance, but the line is cut and he remains on the boat.
Captain Johnathan says: “That scared the living s*** out of me, man.”
He asks Richard if he’s OK to which he signals “yes” with a thumbs up and the haul continues.
Season finishes on a high
Despite the crew sustaining injuries and fighting against tough conditions on the seas, the Captain and crew remain in high spirits.
Johnathan says: “We have not slept. This boat’s been going and going and going. We’ve had a couple or three, two hours, that’s all you need. That’s all the body needs.”
As the pots are dragged up from the ocean, the Time Bandit team find out they’ve managed to bag 62,486 lbs of crab.
Over the moon, the Captain says: “This is how you finish a season.”
