What happened to Wicked Tuna’s Nick Fudge? Cause of Death And Obituary
Daniel Moore
Published Mar 29, 2026
What happened to Wicked Tuna’s Nick Fudge? Cause of Death And Obituary
Nick Fudge is a television personality best known for his appearance on the National Geographic show Wicked Tuna. On July 19, 2018, he died.
Nicholas Fudge was born on August 1, 1989, in Topsfield, Massachusetts, to Ronald Fudge Jr. and Judy Fudge of Greenland.
The presenter graduated from Portsmouth High School and excelled in every sport he tried, with fishing, hockey, lacrosse, skiing, snowboarding, and surfing being his favorites.
Duffy began tuna fishing with his father and grandfather as a child. After becoming one of the country’s top sports fishermen, he landed a spot on the National Geographic reality show Wicked Tuna for numerous seasons.
What happened to Wicked Tuna’s Nick Fudge?
Nicholas Fudge died unexpectedly in July 2018 at the age of 28.
His coworkers described his death as shocking; nonetheless, the cause of death was ultimately determined to be decompression sickness.
He formerly worked at Wicked Tuna. The fisherman is the focus of the television show Wicked Tuna. The reality television show features tuna fishermen from Massachusetts who go fishing in the North Atlantic Ocean.
Duffy collaborated with his dear friend Tyler McLaughlin on the Pinwheel. The company’s official Twitter account, Wicked Tuna, reported Nicholas Fudge’s death.
Wicked Tuna cast member Nicholas “Duffy” Fudge died last week, according to @NatGeoChannel and @Pilgrim Studios. Captain Tyler McLaughlin’s fishing schooner, Pinwheel, had Duffy as its first mate. We grieve his premature death alongside his family and friends.
Captain Tyler McLaughlin stayed on the show even after his first mate and best buddy Duffy died just a few days before Season 8 began filming.
Tyler chose his sister Marissa to be the first mate because she held a captain’s license and was more than qualified.
Tyler was heard saying in the National Geographic movie, “I’m afraid I’ll burn out this season, so I’m relying on Marissa to be a wonderful first mate, and she still has a lot to learn.” However, she now has a captain’s license and can navigate using radar.
Did Nick Fudge Get Decompression Sick?
Decompression illness, often known as The Bends, was the cause of his death.
Diversalertnetwork.org describes it as the result of insufficient decompression after exposure to increasing pressure.
Because bodily tissue absorbs nitrogen bubbles, which can affect any body part, the disease is more common in divers and scuba divers.
There was no confirmation of the cause of Duffy’s death from Wicked Tuna. Most of Duffy’s fans were perplexed by his cause of death, which was labeled “strange death” by most news outlets.
Mentions Nick Fudge’s Cause of Death
Fudge died “unexpectedly” on Thursday, July 19, 2018, according to Nick’s obituary on the Remick & Gendron Funeral Home website.
While New Hampshire police did not specify the cause of death, a local fisherman told the New Hampshire Union Leader that he could have died from decompression sickness.
According to his obituary, Fudge liked the outdoors and began fishing as a boy with his father and grandfather. The family of Fudge has asked that donations be given to a memorial fund, with the earnings supporting environmental preservation.