Nicholas "Duffy" Fudge Dies; Wicked Tuna Star was 28

Very sad news today out of the reality TV universe:

Nicholas "Duffy" Fudge, a recurring cast member on the popular series Wicked Tuna, was found dead last Thursday, July 19.

He was only 28 years old.

The Nat Geo program confirmed the discovered alongside a photo of Fudge in a tweet on its official Twitter account yesterday.

We’ve shared the Tweet above and it reads:

.@NatGeoChannel and @Pilgrim_Studios were saddened to learn that Wicked Tuna cast member Nicholas “Duffy” Fudge passed away this week.

Duffy was the first mate on Captain Tyler McLaughlin’s fishing vessel, Pinwheel. We join his family and friends in mourning his untimely loss.

Nicholas had been a crew member on the show since 2013. He was based out of New Hampshire.

On the Wicked Tuna Facebook page, the post mentioning his passing read as follows:

Duffy was the first mate on Captain Tyler McLaughlin’s fishing vessel, Pinwheel, and has appeared on both Wicked Tuna and our spinoff series Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks.

We join Duffy’s family and friends in mourning his untimely loss.

As of this writing, the case of death is unknown.

Wicked Tuna first aired in April of 2012.

It tracks fisherman out of Gloucester, Massachusetts who risk life and limb on the North Atlantic waters in order to track down bluefin and earn a huge payday in exchange.

According to Fudge’s obituary in the New Hampshire Union Leader, the reality star "may have been the victim of decompression sickness."

He was born in Topsfield, Massachusetts and resided in Greenland, New Hampshire at the time of his death.

He was a graduate of Portsmouth High School in New Hampshire and was an impressive athlete.

Fudge "excelled in any sport he played, and among his favorites were fishing, hockey, lacrosse, skiing, snowboarding, and surfing," reads the obituary.

It added at one point:

"As a child, Nick began tuna fishing with his father and grandfather.

After becoming one of the top sport fishermen in the country, he earned a place on the National Geographic reality show Wicked Tuna for multiple seasons.

"Nick also treasured the environment and he took seriously his responsibility to protect it."

Fudge is survived by his parents; his brother Cody; his girlfriend; his paternal grandfather; his maternal grandparents; and several aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

In the wake of this terrible news, many fans of the show left comments on the online obituary.

"So sorry for the loss of your loved one. Loved watching Duffy on Wicked Tuna. The show will not be the same without him. May you all find comfort during this painful time," one fan wrote.

Another added:

"Duffy was a great guy, I love watching the Pinwheel… [Pray] for the family and his friends."

NatGeo aired a moment of silence during Sunday’s episode in Fudge’s honor.

May he rest in peace.

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