The seven seas are missing a stud. In the latest episode of Below Deck, Captain Lee Rosbach announced his departure from the long-running show due to health concerns. As People reported, Captain Lee admitted to struggling with nerve issues at the top of Season 10. He had hoped that he would be able to make it through the charter season, but as time went on, he realized that it just wasn’t possible.
“My injury, it’s getting worse. The left side of my body, I don’t feel anything,” Captain Lee explained in the episode. “I expected a lot more progress than I’m experiencing, and the most frustrating part about it is, I can’t do a god d— thing about it, and it’s hard,” he added.
Captain Lee recognized that his deteriorating health would ultimately have a negative effect on the entire St. David crew. “The pain’s getting worse, not better. I owe it to my crew to do right by them. They expect that out of me,” he shared on the show.
“This has probably been one of the most humbling experiences of my life,” he later told chef Rachel Hargrove about being forced off the charter season early.
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By the end of the episode, he called an all-hands meeting with the crew to announce that he’d be ending his season, leaving the rest of the crew stunned. “As you guys know, I’ve been struggling with my mobility, and it’s been hard. And I’ve let you guys down, and for that, I apologize. So I’ve made a decision to leave the boat,” he announced.
Bravo has yet to reveal who will be filling in for Captain Lee for the remainder of the season. In season 9, when Captain Lee had to miss the beginning of the charter season due to a health condition, Captain Sean Meagher took over the helm. So perhaps we’ll see him fill in again for the Stud of the Sea. Or maybe Captain Sandy Yawn will jump from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean to save the day for St. David? We’ll be tuning in either way, but it’s safe to say that Below Deck won’t be the same without Captain Lee and his no-nonsense attitude.
TELL US – WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE CAPTAIN LEE MOMENT OVER THE YEARS? DO YOU HAVE ANY UPLIFTING WORDS FOR THE CAPTAIN DURING THIS CHALLENGING TIME?
[Photo by: Charles Sykes/Bravo]