Below Deck Stars Who Sadly Left The Show Due To Health Problems
Working in the yachting world is not an easy feat, as "Below Deck" stars can attest to. Throw in getting filmed 24/7 in tight quarters while trying to make charter guests happy, and major drama can occur. While there have been dramatic firings over the many different franchises, some reality stars have had to quit because of health issues. As a physically demanding industry, yachties have to be on their feet all day, which can sometimes lead to injuries and near-fatal accidents.
"Below Deck" star Ashton Pienaar almost lost his foot after it got caught on a line and pulled him into the water during Season 6. Thankfully, a cameraman jumped into the ocean and freed the deckhand's ankle before it could get severed. Pienaar was fine and able to resume his duties but things could have been much worse. For other "Below Deck" stars, their health scares may not have been so harrowing but they nonetheless were big enough for them to jump ship — some willingly and others not as much.
Captain Lee Rosbach was unable to perform his duties
"Below Deck" Season 10 was a doozy, especially for Captain Lee Rosbach. Fans saw the normally robust Stud of the Sea entering the season with a walking aid due to health issues. He later told the cameras, "My injury, it's getting worse. The left side of my body, I don't feel anything," via Today. Although Rosbach did his best to lead the boat, it became increasingly difficult for him to move around and he realized the boat's safety was at risk. The captain sat the crew down and told them that he would be leaving mid-season. "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," he stated.
Rosbach eventually came back after Captain Sandy Yawn stood in for him and ended Season 10 on a high note. However, because of his injuries, "Below Deck" made the decision to replace him and fans won't be seeing Rosbach in Season 11. "I was just not invited back. I guess I can see their point of view. They really couldn't get a straight answer from anyone on how my health was," he shared with the South Florida Sun Sentinal.
Kyle Viljoen left Below Deck Med after spraining his ankle
Kyle Viljoen's "Below Deck Mediterranean" debut during Season 7 was super dramatic with in-house fighting and a romance with a charter guest, and his exit from the show was just as theatrical. While going down a set of steep stairs, the stew stumbled and fell to the floor. He was unable to get up and put weight on his leg so Captain Sandy Yawn made the call to send Viljoen to the hospital. When he came back, he revealed that he had strained ligaments in his foot and had to stay off of it for a week. Since Viljoen couldn't pull his weight in the interior, he had no choice but to go home.
Following the episode, Viljoen wrote in an Instagram Story (via Monsters & Critics), "My work journey has come to an end. You all have walked this experience through with me to my bitter departure, this is not the end only the beginning of spreading laughter. I appreciate you all, my crew and my production family."
Caroline Bedol had a mysterious foot injury
Caroline Bedol did not have an easy time of it during her one season in "Below Deck." Not only did she feel like the odd stew out with Kate Chastain and Josiah Carter, but she suffered from a lingering foot illness that left it swollen for days. Bedol went to the doctor who told her she had an infection from a Tahitian mosquito and was given antibiotics but it didn't get any better. As Bedol limped back from another doctor's visit, she caught Chastain telling Carter, "I don't think she's lying. It was obviously swollen (via People). Bedol mistook what the chief stew said and replied, "I'm not lying. I'm so upset that you would think that I was lying." Chastain and Carter ended up having to pick up Bedol's slack for a few charters and when the third stew was ready to get back on her feet, she wasn't ready for the work overload.
Midseason, Bedol made the shocking announcement to the crew that she was leaving the boat. "It was a huge surprise. Like, not only am I gonna leave you midseason, put you in a tough place, I'm gonna make sure on my way out, I'm gonna do everything I can to give you a more difficult time when I'm gone by making the crew think you were a bad person," Chastain told Bravo's The Daily Dish. Bedol later shared with fans that the reason for her mysterious foot injury was neuropathy.
Mathew Shea injured his knee right before a charter
One of the most important crew members on a yacht is the chef and when one's out of commission, the whole boat suffers. Mathew Shea didn't even make it to the first charter of "Below Deck Mediterranean" Season 6 before he injured his knee going down the stairs. The following day, he asked Captain Sandy Yawn if he could go to the hospital for an MRI right before the charter guests were set to arrive. The crew ended up having to make dinner, which ended up being inedible due to their lack of experience in the galley.
Thankfully, Shea came back and was able to resume his duties but his limp mysteriously disappeared. "Simply, nerves. I've talked to some cast who think they are ready for the cameras and the production team only to get there and their nerves get the best of them," Below Deck former chief stew Adrienne Gang shared with Showbiz Cheat Sheet. However, Shea told Bravo that a sleepless night compounded the pain in his hurt knee, and he was having anxiety about the upcoming charter. "Looking back on it, it was so many factors going into it," he stated.