Of a stroke. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/entertainment/post/2010/02/deadliest-catch-captain-phil-harris-dies-at-age-53/1 The Captain of the Cornelia Marie died as a result of a stroke. The Discovery Channel has documented the captain and his crew as they fight the elements to bring home the crabs, The Deadliest Catch. RIP, a true original.