'Below Deck': Captain Lee Rosbach credits wife Mary Anne for his recovery
MIAMI, FLORIDA: Captain Lee Rosbach confirmed on the December 19 episode of 'Below Deck' what fans had previously predicted. He is leaving St David due to continuing health concerns, and fans have been wondering about the future of their favorite Bravo captain ever since.
Captain Lee Rosbach, who is highly driven and determined, agonized over his choice to leave 'Below Deck' Season 10. Of course, that was the correct decision. Lee battled physically after losing feeling on his left side. Due to nerve damage in his leg, he was unable to effectively skipper a boat. That didn't make Captain Lee's decision any simpler. Captain Lee pledged to return before the conclusion of the charter season during his farewell speech to the crew of the motor yacht St David.
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And, by sheer coincidence, he did it, according to People. "I made a promise to the crew before I left that I would be back before they were done, before the season was over, and I would walk on board by myself unassisted," Captain Lee said. "I’m happy to say that I was able to fulfill the promise." "That was a very proud moment for me," he continued. "I wanted to be able to finish what I started."
During his time on shore, our Stallion of the Sea was treated by physicians and physical therapists for worsening nerve difficulties. Despite the fact that his medical staff reported that his back and neck procedures went "extremely well," Captain Lee battled with balance and basic motor functions while remaining on board. "My mind’s there, my heart’s there, my body just won’t cooperate," Captain Lee said to his crew as he prepared to leave the boat. "I’ve never quit, and this time, I have to."
"I finally gave myself a plane ticket home, but it’s round trip," Captain Lee remarked, referring to his habit of providing one-way tickets home. "I’m going to go back to the States, get this straightened out, and as soon as I do I’ll be on the first plane back here and tell whoever’s on board to get the f– off my boat."
Captain Sandy Yawn of Below Deck Mediterranean was the person in question. Viewers' responses to her on-screen presence were varied. Fortunately, dissatisfied fans may rest assured that Lee Rosbach will completely recover before the season finale. Despite his successful homecoming, Captain Lee seemed unable to reconcile his decision to leave in the first place. "That’s something I’ve never done in my life, I’ve never quit," he told People. "I’ve never had to say I quit. And it was really, really hard to admit, especially to myself, that there’s something out there that kicked my ass. That was a hard pill to swallow," Lee continued.
His crew's sympathetic attitude made his leaving sad. By the end of Captain Lee's remarks, chief stew Fraser Olender and cook Rachel Hargrove were in tears. "I was very touched by that. It was palpable. You could taste it," he said. "It was in the air and it was just raw emotion on both sides of that fence. I was close to tears because it just means that much to me. And to be able to instill that in other people, that same sort of caring, and see it take place, it’s like, ‘Yeah, I’ve done good.’ To have to walk away from that was just harsh."
Captain Lee then shared information about his recuperation procedure. His treatment plan comprised a massage therapist, a clinician, and intense physical therapy, which he received up to six days a week. "If they were open, I was there," Captain Lee told People. The procedure worked, but not at the rate Captain Lee had hoped. "There were times when I would get discouraged. I’m like everybody else, I guess. We’re so used to instant gratification. We want to see progress immediately. And with nerve damage, it just doesn’t happen that way. So I’d get frustrated. Other people would see a difference in my progress, but it wouldn’t seem like anything to me because I wanted to see leaps and bounds instead of baby steps. But we got there," he added.
"Right now everything’s in a good place," said Captain Lee, who was feeling "great." "It was a bit of a rough patch there," he joked. "I felt like Chester in Gunsmoke!" Captain Lee attributes his recovery to his wife Mary Anne Rosbach. Mary Anne was always at his side and provided "tremendous support" to her adoring husband.
Bravo's 'Below Deck' airs Mondays at 8 pm ET.