‘Deadliest Catch’ star visits Titusville

One of the stars of TV’s “Deadliest Catch” stopped in Brevard County Wednesday night to help raise money for a local fisherman suffering from cancer.

Deckboss and engineer Edgar Hansen spoke to a sold-out crowd of about 200 at Dixie Crossroads Seafood Restaurant, off Garden Street.

Hansen has been on the show since it began in 2005.

Part of Hansen’s reason for speaking was Capt. Phil Harris, who died earlier in 2010 from cancer.

Hansen said the fishing industry is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, and most fishermen smoke -- a habit he, himself, has been trying to break.

“Just looking at what happened to Phil and a lot of our friends, and every one is like a nail in your coffin,” he said. “It’s a disgusting habit. I’m so tired of it.”

The event raised more than $2,000 for the for the Troy and Christine Perez Cancer Fund.

Christine is a Brevard County resident who holds the most fishing records for a woman in history.