'Deadliest Catch' Star Tony Lara Dies at 50

Tony Lara, captain of the crabbing boat Cornelia Marie on Deadliest Catch, died in his sleep on Saturday at age 50.

"Yesterday we lost a member of the Catch Family," the Discovery Channel show's Facebook posted on Sunday. "May you RIP Captain Tony Lara. We know that you are up in heaven watching over the Cornelia Marie and rest of the Bering Sea fleet."

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Lara was found dead in his Sturgis, South Dakota home, according to the Associated Press. The cause of death has not yet been reported.

According to his Deadliest Catch bio, Lara worked on the Cornelia Marie for 10 years in the 1990's. "He just wants to catch come crab and bring them home," the bio reads. "He knows the Cornelia Marie inside and out."

Upon hearing of Lara's death, the fisherman's Deadliest Catch co-stars have been sharing their condolences.

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"Last night we lost a great friend, mentor, and a truly wonderful person," a post on Captain Casey McManus' Facebook page read. "Tony stepped in as Captain after Captain Phil passed away and kept the Cornelia Marie going while passing on his years of knowledge and experience to all of us on the crew."

"Our hearts are heavy today," the message continued. "Captain Tony Lara will continue to be in our thoughts and remembered as a generous, talented, smart and caring man. We will miss you Tony."

Like McManus, Captain Keith Colburn was also shocked to hear that Lara had died.

"I was shocked and incredibly saddened to learn of the passing of my friend and fellow Capt., Tony Lara, today," Colburn posted on Saturday. "I knew Tony long before there was a Deadliest Catch, and I had the pleasure of working an opie season with him on the Wizard many years ago. He was an incredible chief, a great captain, and an even better friend. Rest easy, Tony; you will be missed."

News of Lara's death comes just a few weeks after former Deadliest Catch associate producer, Joe McMahon, was shot and killed in front of his Pasadena, California home. Neighbors told local news affiliate CBS2 that they heard about seven gunshots and a car speed away.