'Deadliest Catch' Todd Meadows' Family Starts GoFundMe to Help His Kids

Todd Meadows -- a rookie "Deadliest Catch" deckhand who died at sea last week -- was a determined dad to 3 boys ... and a new GoFundMe campaign will go a long way in supporting them in his absence.

As we reported ... Meadows died at just 25 years old, going overboard while crabbing on the Aleutian Lady in the Bering Sea last Wednesday.

The GoFundMe is being organized by Todd's cousin, Paige Knudson, who tells TMZ ... the family is crowdfunding to help his kids with everything they need during a "horrific" time in their lives.

Todd's cousin says he'd been fishing ever since he was a young boy, and it was his passion ... and he'd worked in the commercial fishing industry for the past 4 years, and only started his job on the Aleutian Lady back in January.

We're told he grew up in Washington and moved to Alaska to work on the boat and provide for his kids.

The campaign page reads, "This unimaginable loss has left his children without their father, his parents without their son, his siblings without their brother and his family broken. As the family navigates this heartbreaking time, we are raising funds to help support his three boys, assist with funeral expenses, and help ease the financial burden in the months ahead."

It adds ... "Any donation, no matter the size, will go directly toward honoring his life and ensuring his boys are cared for in the way he would have wanted."

Todd's death is being investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard, who told us that first aid and attempts to resuscitate Todd were unsuccessful, and he was recovered from the water unresponsive.