What happened to Paul from Wicked Tuna? Story explored ahead of season 12 premiere

Wicked Tuna is set to return for another season this week and will feature another race consisting of four boats to catch the final fish.

The show’s synopsis reads:

"The North Atlantic bluefin tuna are hungry but as a new season of Wicked Tuna begins, Gloucester's famed captains are even hungrier to prove they are the best of the fleet. The G.O.A.T boat - the Greatest Boat Of All Time."

In 2019, while the show was filming an episode of Wicked Tuna, an explosion occurred, killing Paul J.iello and seriously injuring another cast member in the process.

Wicked Tuna season 12 is set to premiere on Sunday, February 26, at 9 pm ET on National Geographic.

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Season 8 of Wicked Tuna saw an unfortunate incident

In 2019, during Wicked Tuna season 8, when the commercial fishing boat was 30 miles away from the coast of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, an explosion occurred at 9.30 am. This resulted in the passing of 60-year-old Paul J.iello and seriously injured another cast member named Michael Roberts.

The boat was a 74-foot longliner based in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and was owned and handled by Captain Dave Carrano and his son, Nick Carraro. While the season 8 incident was investigated closely by the U.S. Guard with assistance from the National Transportation Safety Board, the result was inconclusive.

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More about the show

Wicked Tuna season 12 is set to feature four teams led by captains who are ready to prove that they’re the “best of the fleet.”

Last season, Patrican came second while Bob Cook of the Fat Tuna took home the title and will return once more to prove his worth.

Captain Dave Carraro has the most wins under his belt as he has won the reality show four times while Captain Tyler McLaughlin is set to return with an all-new boat in Wicked Boat season 12.

Also set to return for another season is fan-favorite Captain Adave Marciano who wants to prove his position and take home the title. Other cast members set to return are Captain Paul Herbert and Captain T.J Ott.

A new face set to compete in season 12 is Captain Michelle Bancewincz of No Limits as she joins the fleet along with Lea Pinaud.

National Geographic said about her:

"Bancewicz caused a splash last year after a video of her catching a 600 lb bluefin tuna by herself became a viral sensation, and she's got the skills and the drive to shake up the competition."

The upcoming season will have three episodes, including the season premiere. The synopsis of the first episode states that the competitors will kick off in Gloucester, but government restrictions will restrict the boats to carry one fish per day and only four days of fishing in a week.

Episode two, titled Push It to the Limit, will also air on Sunday, February 26, at its usual airtime followed by episode three the following week, titled A Whole New Pissah.

Tune in on Sunday, February 26, at 10 pm ET to watch the first two episodes of season 12 on National Geographic.