'Deadliest Catch' star Phil Harris dies

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 10 (UPI) -- U.S. reality television personality Phil Harris, who was featured on "Deadliest Catch," died Tuesday after suffering a stroke last month, his sons said.

Harris, 53, underwent surgery after he had a stroke while in port off-loading from his crab boat Jan. 29 in Alaska.

"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," Harris' sons and co-stars, Jake and Josh, said in a statement on the Discovery Channel Web site.

"Discovery mourns the loss of dear friend and colleague Captain Phil Harris," the network said in a separate statement. "He was more than someone on our television screen. Phil was a devoted father and loyal friend to all who knew him. We will miss his straightforward honesty, wicked sense of humor and enormous heart. We share our tremendous sadness over this loss with the millions of viewers who followed Phil's every move. We send our thoughts and prayers to Phil's sons Josh and Jake and the Cornelia Marie crew."