Tony Lara, a former crabbing captain who appeared on season 7 of Discovery’s popular reality series ‘Deadliest Catch,’ has passed away at the age of 50.

Lara was in Sturgis, South Dakota, for the city’s annual motorcycle rally and reportedly passed away in his sleep. According to the AP, an autopsy will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death.

In a statement, the crew of the Cornelia Marie paid tribute to their former captain, calling him a true friend and faithful advisor.

“No conversation was cut short. No call unreturned,” they added. “When the Cornelia Marie needed him, he was quick to respond with a ‘When’ and ‘Where.’ 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.”

What Happened To Tony Lara From Deadliest Catch?

The Cornelia Marie was one of the first ships featured on Discovery’s “Deadliest Catch.” According to The Gazette Review, the ship was built in Alabama in 1989 and named after the wife of the original owner, Ralph Collins. Collins and his wife eventually divorced, and Cornelia Marie herself took ownership of the ship before selling part of her share to Phil Harris, who was the captain of the ship when the series started.

According to The New York Times, Harris suffered a stroke on his boat in January of 2010 and died just a few days later. According to an interview with Yahoo, Phil’s son, Josh, inherited Phil’s portion of the boat and eventually took over as captain of the ship. But between Phil Harris’ time as captain and Josh Harris taking over, there was another captain who briefly took over the boat. His name was Tony Lara.

Lara was introduced in Season 7 episode “Sea Change” when Josh Harris brought Lara in to replace his late father. Lara only lasted until the Season 7 finale, “Mohawks & Madness, Goodness & Gladness,” before parting ways with the Cornelia Marie, leaving its future in the hands of the Josh Harris and his brother. What happened to Lara after the show ended, however, was truly unfortunate.

A devastating loss

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.