Captain Phil Harris started working on fishing boats aged seven

Captain Phil Harris, whose fishing adventures off the Alaska coast were captured on Discovery Channel show Deadliest Catch, has died aged 53.

In January, he had a stroke while his boat was in port at St Paul Island.

In a statement his sons Josh and Jake said: "Dad has always been a fighter and continued to be until the end."

Elizabeth Hillman from the Discovery Channel said the team would miss his "straightforward honesty, wicked sense of humour and enormous heart".

She added: "He was more than someone on our television screen. Phil was a devoted father and loyal friend to all who knew him."

In a recent posting on his website, Harris' sons wrote: "No-one ever said Captain Phil Harris wasn't tough.

"Today, dad showed some good signs of improvement, squeezing our hands and even summoning his trademark captain's bluntness.

"We are encouraged but still very cautious."

Harris started working on fishing boats aged seven. He first captained a fishing vessel at the age of 21.