After having seen the TV series Discovery Channel's episodes of fishing the Bering Sea for opelio crab, many viewers wonder if being a fisherman on the Bering Sea is truly one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Well, not only is it one of the most hazardous occupations, it is the number one most dangerous out of any other job in the entire world. The vast and fortuitous bounty offered by Bering Sea is so lucrative and attractive that many risk it all in quest for it. However, the Bering Sea does not relinquish her bounty so easily without great cost.
Jobs such as extraction workers, commercial airline pilots, and others are ranked in the top ten most dangerous occupations, but being an Alaskan crab fisherman is at the very top. There have been nearly 30 deaths so far, and the annual fatality rate is higher than any other occupation. One of the most common ways for these fishermen to die is by falling overboard. This occurs due to a variety of different reasons, but one of the most common ones is that they get tangled up in the rope attached to the crab pots.
In February of 2010, captain of the Cornelia Marie, Phil Harris, passed away as an Alaskan crab fisherman. His death was not related to what most would expect from an Alaskan fisherman. He passed away in a hospital due to poor health, but this was surely directly related to his life as a fisherman on the Bering Sea. His daily life was full of high-tension moments, lack of sleep, and poor nutrition that eventually lead to his rapidly decline in health. His legacy will carry on as the Cornelia Marie, and through his appearance on the Discovery Channel's episodes of fishing the Bering Sea for crab series.
Although Phil's death was unorthodox for a crab fisherman, most die by plummeting into the icy Bering Sea. The Alaskan ocean's extreme temperatures are unbearable and un-survivable during both the winter and summer months. If someone falls in and is not within a survival suit, they will die with certainty within minutes. The frigid waters first remove the capability for a person to move his or her limbs making it nearly impossible to swim or stay afloat. Quickly after, the person cannot breathe and drowns, unless the sudden shock of the cold water hasn't already forced them to gulp in seawater and drown.
Fishermen of crab in Alaska have to battle hunger and fatigue on a daily basis as part of the job. Because of this lack of energy and elevated level of stress, the possibilities for unexpected perils to arise become greatly augmented. At times, these fishermen are subjected to workdays of 24 hours or longer in extremely hazardous conditions. The Bering Sea has many dangerous storms that pose great risks to crews on the fishing vessels. Large waves make the decks of these ships very unstable working environments, and it is critical for the workers to be as alert and aware of every potential hazard in their immediate environment as well as those related to their crewmembers.
Jobs such as extraction workers, commercial airline pilots, and others are ranked in the top ten most dangerous occupations, but being an Alaskan crab fisherman is at the very top. There have been nearly 30 deaths so far, and the annual fatality rate is higher than any other occupation. One of the most common ways for these fishermen to die is by falling overboard. This occurs due to a variety of different reasons, but one of the most common ones is that they get tangled up in the rope attached to the crab pots.
In February of 2010, captain of the Cornelia Marie, Phil Harris, passed away as an Alaskan crab fisherman. His death was not related to what most would expect from an Alaskan fisherman. He passed away in a hospital due to poor health, but this was surely directly related to his life as a fisherman on the Bering Sea. His daily life was full of high-tension moments, lack of sleep, and poor nutrition that eventually lead to his rapidly decline in health. His legacy will carry on as the Cornelia Marie, and through his appearance on the Discovery Channel's episodes of fishing the Bering Sea for crab series.
Although Phil's death was unorthodox for a crab fisherman, most die by plummeting into the icy Bering Sea. The Alaskan ocean's extreme temperatures are unbearable and un-survivable during both the winter and summer months. If someone falls in and is not within a survival suit, they will die with certainty within minutes. The frigid waters first remove the capability for a person to move his or her limbs making it nearly impossible to swim or stay afloat. Quickly after, the person cannot breathe and drowns, unless the sudden shock of the cold water hasn't already forced them to gulp in seawater and drown.
Fishermen of crab in Alaska have to battle hunger and fatigue on a daily basis as part of the job. Because of this lack of energy and elevated level of stress, the possibilities for unexpected perils to arise become greatly augmented. At times, these fishermen are subjected to workdays of 24 hours or longer in extremely hazardous conditions. The Bering Sea has many dangerous storms that pose great risks to crews on the fishing vessels. Large waves make the decks of these ships very unstable working environments, and it is critical for the workers to be as alert and aware of every potential hazard in their immediate environment as well as those related to their crewmembers.
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