According to a CNN article, Tony Lara died in 2015 at the age of 50 while attending a motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota. According to US Weekly citing a now-deleted story from Fox News, Lara's cause of death was ruled to be a heart attack.
Friends and crew had a lot of positive things to say about Lara, particularly Josh Harris, who had brought Lara aboard the Cornelia Marie. "Tony was always there for the Harris Family," Harris told CNN through a publicist. "He offered his support and his advice. He taught and he educated. At the end of the day, Tony made all of us just a little bit better."
Captain Keith Colburn, captain of the fishing vessel Wizard, which is also featured on the show, tweeted his memory of Lara. "Saddened to hear of the passing of Capt.,Tony Lara," wrote Colburn. "Top notch chief, great capt.,& even better friend." A now-deleted statement on the Cornelia Marie's website read: "No conversation was cut short. No call unreturned. When the Cornelia Marie needed him, he was quick to respond with a 'When and Where'" (per the previously mentioned CNN article). As sad as his passing was, his brief stint on "Deadliest Catch" allowed him to be remembered fondly by many people following his heartbreaking death.
