Phil From 'Deadliest Catch' Dead: Phil Harris Dies After Suffering Stroke

Phil Harris from "The Deadliest Catch" has died, according to his sons. Harris was 53.

Harris, captain of the Cornelia Marie crew, was a main character on the Discovery Channel show. He suffered a stroke in January while unloading crabs, but showed signs of improvement as recently as last week.

In an entry posted Feb. 3, Harris's children told Discovery, "Today, dad showed some good signs of improvement, squeezing our hands and even summoning his trademark Captain's bluntness by telling the doctors and nurses, "Don't f*ck up." We are encouraged but still very cautious."

Below is the message released by the Harris's sons Jake and Josh after their father's death:

It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to our dad - Captain Phil Harris. Dad has always been a fighter and continued to be until the end. For us and the crew, he was someone who never backed down. We will remember and celebrate that strength. Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and prayers. - Jake and Josh Harris

The Discovery Channel has put together some of their best video featuring Phil Harris.