Former local man in deep water
CLARKSBURG — Guy Kisielewski was born far from the ocean in Bennington, Vt. After growing up in Clarksburg, going to school in North Adams and working with horses in Delaware most of his life, the 37-year-old decide try something else — the deadliest job in the world, in the middle of the Bering Sea’s freezing waters.
Guy Kisielewski, left, a former Clarksburg resident appearing on this season’s ‘Deadliest Catch’ on the Discovery Channel, poses with a past catch with brother Dean, right, and a friend in this undated photo.
Kisielewski has been featured this season on the Discovery Channel reality show about Alaskan king crab fishermen, “Deadliest Catch,” as a “greenhorn” crew member of the boat the Wizard. He replaced another new deckhand who got injured part way into the season and his mother, Mildred Kisielewski of Clarksburg, said he found the job was a lot more than he bargained for.
“You can sit and watch something on TV but when you’re there it’s a different matter,” Kisielewski, a school bus driver in town, said Monday.
In 2005, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ranked Alaskan crab fishing as having more than 300 fatalities per 100,000 crab fisherman, making it — officially — the deadliest job in the world.
Kisielewski joined the sometimes lucrative crab hunt during the Opilio crab season after a friend of his father’s knew the Wizard was looking for a new crew member. Kisielewski was eager to cash in big for a few weeks’ work. A full load of crab can bring upwards of a $1 million, making each deckhand’s share between $10,000 and $40,000.
“If they get their full boatload of crab, you make fabulous money. That’s a reason to go,” Kisielweski said. “However, what he didn’t realize until he got up there, was there’s lots of things they take out for. I think he was a little surprised at some of those deductions, and they’re pretty serious, too.”
Deckhands can be charged upfront for fuel, food, bait and wet-weather gear, which can run into thousands of dollars before a single crab is caught. Kisielewski said her son also was unprepared for the treatment new crew members have to endure.
“When they have a greenhorn come aboard, they don’t go overboard showing them the ropes,” she said. “They’re always complaining about what the greenhorn did while not showing him what to do. It’s a different world out there. It can be totally foreign to somebody.”
Kisielewski said there were a handful of times she was worried watching the show, and was relieved it was taped in months in advance. Crew members have had fingers crushed and bones broken over the show’s three years. Some have fallen overboard, where the frigid water can kill in minutes.
Her son has talked to her about the dangers he encountered, preparing her for what she was likely to see from her living room. While he didn’t quite regret the experience, he told his mother he wasn’t going to do it again.
“It’s not one of those jobs you can say ‘take this job and shove it’ and then walk out the door because you’re in the middle of the Bering Sea,” Kisielewski said. “Unless something awful happens, you have to stick it out. And awful things do happen, ships sink, people go overboard. For the life of me I can’t see why people like that job.”
The season finale of “Deadliest Catch” airs tonight at 9 on the Discovery Channel. Kisielewski said she’s a little worried after having seen a commercial for it.
“I was watching the show and they showed a preview that said ‘on the season finale one greenhorn threatens a captain,’ and I just thought, ‘I hope that’s not him,'” she said smiling. “But then they showed him in a shouting match with the captain, so I guess it’s not that bad.”
By Ryan Hutton
Deadliest Reports 
Interesting the quotes are from Guy’s mother, not Guy himself. Take what you want from that.
Even tho Guy was treated poorly buy the other crew memebers, he should’ve stuck it out, put his ego aside and worked a little harder. He was SO slow, and ended up crying at the end because he didn’t get any respect. Rodeo rider? Gimme a break. Riding an animal for a few seconds isn’t work.
Unfortunately, “respect” is something you earn not something that is given to you. I get so tired of young people today saying they did something because somoeone did not “respect” them……. Earn it…. No one gets it til they earn it…….. I get such a chuckle out of reading all the web sites and people wanting a job….. They think they can do the job, yet they have never stood in the water up to their chest in January with 20 degree air temperatures and worked til they could not move anymore and then kept moving…….. Most of the young people today should go into the military and learn what it is to be scared S…less……….
I did 13 years and never once did we not show a greenhorn the ropes. Some of them are just too thickheaded to catch on. They don’t come back either! Another so called tough guy crying in his milk ! LMAO in Ketchikan.
He got on my nerves BIG TIME and made himself look like a complete ass. Sounds like he’s still attached to his mama’s tit, no wonder he can’t take anyone telling him what to do.
From what I saw, they were all very nice to him, not half as bad as what the guys on the Northwestern were to Jake. Guy isn’t a guy at all. Not only does he throw like a girl, he acts like one too!
I just started watching this show this weekend and I love it. These guys are amazingly tough with the hours and conditions they need to work through. Guy has to have his mommy do this interview for him? He was an incredible idiot. He wouldn’t listen to constructive criticism, demanded respect when he refused to give it to those much more experienced and just really made me disgusted overall. GROW UP!!
We discovered Deadliest Catch a while ago and have since bought the Series. We love it. Some of the greenhorns we’ve seen were younger or older than Guy and they all ran circles around him. We couldn’t get over the liberties he took by leaving the deck when he felt like it, cooking himself a meal and taking an 8 hr sleep, all while the crew battled the elements on deck. What a slacker! On top of that he’s got his mother making excuses for him! And then he’s got the nerve to threaten Monty on his own ship! Some watching all of this might have voted to cast him adrift in the middle of the Bering Sea for refusing to do the job he was hired to do. We can’t wait to buy Season 4.
I just saw an episode today and he looked familiar. Guy actually use to work on my popops now my aunts farm. Pretty cool!!!
Haha… so many would be tough guys (and worse yet, tough women) on here belittling Guy for his performance. How long would any of YOU last on a crab boat? Approximately 3 minutes would be my guess. Armchair quarterbacks one and all. So predictable… so quick to trash another man for not living up to expectations while probably never having done more than swatted a fly in your own lives. Funny and sad. When I see any of you (especially you women) on Deadliest Catch, your opinion will have weight. Until then, get a life and “grow up” yourselves. LOL.
Guy, what a punk! why does it seam that all the weak mommas boys come from the north east? Rodeo? you are a rodeo pussy clown!
Rodeo people are tough as shit, I guarantee much tougher than most of those crabbers. That “Guy” was no bull/bronco/steer rider, it said he worked with horses. Probably riding them, taking care of them, and picking up their shit. Most cowboys or ranchers would hang tough in that job, at least more than he did.