Johnathan Hillstrand is a famous American Television personality who has been in the seafaring and fishing business for over 35 years.
He is the captain and co-owner of the fishing boat F/V Time Bandit with his brother Andy Hillstrand. He and his brother have appeared in the television show Deadliest Catch from season 2 to season 13.
Johnathan appeared on the show again during season 16 with Jake Anderson and returned with Josh Harris the next season. Harris left partway through season 17, and Hillstrand continued alone and returned for season 18 alone.
What Is Deadliest Catch Johnathan Hillstrand’s Illness?
Everyone who watches the show, Deadliest Catch, knows just how challenging the open ocean can be, especially in the crab fishing business.
Commercial fishing is nothing to scoff at as one of the most challenging jobs. The Bureau of Labor Statistics holds that commercial fishing is the occupation with the highest fatality rate, with a staggering 141.7 per 100,000.
The fatality mentioned above makes commercial fishing 75% higher than the fatality rates for other dangerous jobs like pilots, flight engineers, loggers, etc. On top of that, Alaskan King Crab fishing, the kind they do on Deadliest Catch, is considered even more dangerous than your average commercial fishing.
The conditions in the Bering Sea, where the crews of deadliest catch fish, are harsher than most. So, when Captain Hillstrand announced that he would retire after season 13 in 2017, many people wondered if he was sick.
Rumors started spreading that the Deadliest Catch fisherman had cancer. These rumors were unfounded, and the captain of the Time Bandit just needed some time off to be with his family.
Johnathan and his brother Andy Hillstrand bowed out from the show following the thirteenth season, and their boat, the Time Bandit, came with them.
Deadliest Catch Johnathan Hillstrand’s Health Update 2022
Johnathan Hillstrand left the show, not because of illness but because he had plans to open another crab fishery that fell through.
Sheryl, Johnathan’s social media manager, answered many fans’ queries on Facebook as to why he retired. She stated that while Johnathan did retire from King Crab and Opilio Crab fishing, the two types of crabs they fish for in the deadliest catch, he hasn’t entirely retired from crab fishing.
Hillstrand was planning on starting a brand new crab fishery the year of his retirement, but unfortunately, the paperwork and permits did not come through on time. This predicament left Hillstrand without his spot in the Deadliest Catch and anything else on his plate.
Sadly, when further pressed by fans as to why Johnathan wouldn’t return to the Deadliest Catch for the fourteenth season, Sheryl shut down all queries by stating that she cannot discuss anything to do with the fourteenth season as well as Hillstrand’s involvement with the show. The next few years would go by without news of when Hillstrand of the Time Bandit would return to the show.
Though this wasn’t the first time Deadliest Catch dropped a boat from the show, the Time Bandit and Johnathan Hillstrand had been standard fixtures on the show since the second season, so it was pretty shocking to the fans.
Where is Deadliest Catch Johnathan Hillstrand Now?
John Hillstrand could not stay as he was brought back for the sixteenth season by Caption Sig Hanson.
According to Hanson and Hillstrand, there was no need for nagging as Hillstrand had missed the sea and fishing. Getting him back on the show was painless, and he has been on the show ever since.
When probed further, Hillstrand said that a significant reason for his return to the show was the advent of illegal crab fishing. He has begun to worry about what illegal fishing might do to the crab population.
Deadliest Catch Johnathan Hillstrand’s Wife and Family
Johnathan Hillstrand comes from a large family, and three of his siblings are also involved in the fishing business.
He has five siblings in total, with his brother Andy being the most prominent as they co-own the Time Bandit. His father’s name is John Hillstrand senior.
His birth mother’s identity is unknown, but his father remarried Johnathan’s stepmother Nancy Hillstrand. Also, Johnathan would divorce his first wife, whose identity is unknown, and marry his current wife Heather Hillstrand.
He’s had two children with his first wife. The name of his eldest son is Scott Hillstrand.