Why Did Mike Fourtner Leave Deadliest Catch & Where Is He Now?

Some captains and crew members seen on "Deadliest Catch" are dedicated to crab fishing on the Bering Sea for the long haul. Just look at F/V Northwestern's Sig Hansen, who has been featured on each season of the reality show since 2005. But some, like F/V Time Bandit deckhand Mike Fourtner, eventually crave something different in life.

In the Season 9 finale ("The Final Battle"), Fourtner tearfully announces his retirement from the Time Bandit after 15 years to spend more time with his family. While looking at a photo of himself and his wife, he tells the camera, "I've never quit a job in my life ... I'm leaving for a good reason, I'm leaving on good terms. I wanna be Mike, the good husband, and Mike, the good dad, not Mike from the Time Bandit."

When Fourtner breaks the news to Time Bandit Captain Andy Hillstrand, the skipper instantly understands where he's coming from. Hillstrand tells Fourtner, "I could tell this year was a lot different with you. I could just tell you're getting older, now you've got kids coming. But we love ya man, you've always been a really good worker."

When taking into consideration Mike Fourtner's time spent on the water, it's understandable why he wanted to take a step back from crab fishing. In an interview with Lewis Talk, he revealed that, from 1998 to 2013, 10 months out of each year were spent fishing. When his wife became pregnant with twin girls, it was no longer sustainable for Fourtner to be away for so long. However, he didn't stray too far from his passion.

The year after he left behind the F/V Time Bandit, Fourtner landed a job with Cummins Sales and Service, which sells marine equipment across the west coast and, much to his excitement, his old stomping grounds of Alaska. "I work with the same people, just on a different side of the fence," he said. "I love it."

Fourtner has since transitioned to general contracting, which allows him to use his experience on the Time Bandit as a ship engineer in a fresh capacity. In this role, he can also spend more time at home in Washington with his wife and daughters, who he said are into sports and being active.