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'Deadliest Catch' Season 16 Episode 8: Skippers bid tearful adieu to victims of the Scandies Rose tragedy

The Scandies Rose went down on December 31, 2019, and only two crew members made it out alive

Spoilers for 'Deadliest Catch' Season 16 Episode 8 'Mayday: Scandies Rose'

The winters season brought in a pall of gloom. It wasn't just the weather, it was bad news for the fishing community as it lost five brothers to the treacherous Bering Sea.  The Scandies Rose went down on December 31, 2019, and only two members made it out alive. The death shook the crew members of the Northwestern, the Summer Bay, Wizard, and Lady Alaska as the skippers and crew mourned the death of their fellow men who passed away. 

The tribute episode saw each of the captains share heartfelt messages about Scandies Rose skipper Gary Cobban Jr who died with his son and three more crew members. "He was like a brother to me," recalled Monte Colburn of the Wizard, tearfully. Sig Hansen recalled the time he first worked with Cobban Jr and remembered him as a man who loved to talk, describing him as an "open book." While the crew and Captain Bill Wichrowski offered prayers, Scott Campbell Junior sobbed bitterly. 

Such was the impact that Cobban Jr's death had on Monte Colburn that he was wasted by the end of the day delaying Wizard's start by a day. And for viewers, this pain of losing a close friend reverberated throughout the 90-minute episode as it sees tears, frustration and confusion taking over just about every deckhand, engineer and captain. The final minutes see the skippers pay a tearful tribute and it brings them closer to their crew. This tragedy is a firm reminder that they're a family. 

And families must be protected. Usually, 'Deadliest Catch' showcases some insane daredevilry and sheer bravado— working during storms, navigating and fending off rogue waves, but in 'Mayday: Scandies Rose', what's seen is hesitation and primal fear that any moment can be their last. It is heartbreaking no doubt. With this, Episode 8 is more heartening and emotional at the same time. As Gabrielle Mariena's 'Road Thoughts' plays in the last minutes of the episodes, what's seen is a tearful and heartfelt goodbye to the fallen. 

'Deadliest Catch' Season 16 airs on Tuesdays at 8 pm ET on Discovery.