The 'Below Deck' star has been dealing with chronic pain.
Captain Lee Rosbach is saying bon voyage to Below Deck. During Monday’s episode, the beloved captain of the St. David yacht announced that he will be leaving the show due to health issues.
Since the start of season 10, Rosbach has been dealing with nerve issues. In a confessional, the 73-year-old captain opened up about his health battle.
"My injury, it's getting worse. The left side of my body, I don't feel anything," he said. "I expected a lot more progress than I'm experiencing, and the most frustrating part about it is, I can't do a god da** thing about it, and it's hard."
Later in the episode, the "Stud of the Sea" went on to explain how in order to show up for his crew, he has to be in top shape -- and that’s just isn't possible at this time.
"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. "There comes a point if a captain is really being objective, he should be putting the best interests of his crew first because that's your primary responsibility. As soon as you step on board, check your f**king ego at the dock. That's where you leave it."
During a conversation with Bosun Ross McHarg, Rosbach said that he was "OK," though it was evident to his co-star that he was in a lot of pain.
"I got a lot of respect for Captain. If he tells me that he's good to go, I believe that," McHarg said in a confessional. "And until he tells me he's not, then we just get on with the job."
At the end of the show, Rosbach made the announcement of his departure with the crew.
"As you guys know, I've been struggling with my mobility, and it's been hard,” he said. "And I've let you guys down, and for that I apologize. So I've made a decision to leave the boat."
Monday's Below Deck episode ended with a cliffhanger, and fans will have to tune in next week to see how the rest of the captain's conversation with the crew plays out.
On Tuesday, Rosbach took to Twitter to tease his return. After a fan messaged the reality star and asked, "Will you be back next season?," the captain hinted that it may not be the end of the road for him on the show.
"I will as long as it’s fun, which it is and you guys still want to have me," he replied.
Rosbach has been on the series since the premiere in 2010. In November, the captain spoke to ET and admitted that during this season, he did something he has never done before.
"I do something on this season that I have never done before that is kind of interesting, I think," he teased. "It really is something I didn't see coming, something I didn't like, but I have always gone by the mantra of, 'Do the right thing,' and sometimes doing the right thing is very comfortable, sometimes it's very, very difficult, but it's still the right thing to do. After the dust settles, you have to do the right thing."
New episodes of Below Deck season 10 premiere Mondays on Bravo and each episode begins streaming the next day on Peacock.
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