“Deadliest Catch” star Tony Lara died of an apparent heart attack while attending the annual motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, Meade County Sheriff Ron Merwin told TheWrap on Tuesday.
The 50-year-old commercial fishing ship captain, a featured player on the hit Discovery reality show, died Saturday morning at a private home in Sturgis, Meade had said.
Lara was a crabbing veteran who joined the cast of “Deadliest Catch” several years ago following the 2010 death of Phil Harris at age 53.
Like Harris, Lara served as captain of the Cornelia Marie, working with Phil’s son Josh in commercial crab fishing out of Kodiak, Alaska.
Lara’s fellow “Deadliest Catch” stars expressed their grief online.
Yesterday we lost a member of the Catch Family. May you RIP Captain Tony Lara! pic.twitter.com/swLleyVUlr
— Deadliest Catch (@DeadliestCatch) August 9, 2015
Saddened to hear of the passing of Capt.,Tony Lara. Top notch chief, great capt.,& even better friend. pic.twitter.com/ezbVaWhVUy
— Capt Keith Colburn (@crabwizard) August 9, 2015
The 75th annual rally in Sturgis, which ended Sunday, claimed 12 lives in motorcycle crashes — making this year’s event the deadliest in its history, according to ABC station KOTA from Rapid City, S.D.