Captain Lee Rosbach has been a staple on Bravo’s Below Deck for seven seasons.
Sadly, over the summer, the famous captain made headlines for the loss of his son. In July, Captain Lee shared the tragic news his son Josh passed away from a drug overdose.
The Bravo star shared a brief statement at the time revealing, he and his wife Mary Anne lost their son to “his demons.” Josh struggled with addiction for twenty years, according to Captain Lee.
For the first time since the tragic death, the Below Deck star has broken his silence on Josh’s passing. He also revealed his struggle to learn to live life without his youngest son.
In an interview with Page Six, Captain Lee reveals Josh had been doing much better before his death. Mary Anne and her husband thought their child had turned a corner.
Josh had been off drugs for six months, was working, and even had a DUI conviction removed from his record. The worried parents thought they were finally going to be able to put that part of their lives behind him.
On July 22, Captain Lee drove to Josh’s Fort Lauderdale apartment, where he found his son. At first, he thought Josh was passed out, but the 42-year-old was dead.
“I hate going to sleep, and I hate waking up. There’s a hole there that can’t be filled. And the person who said, ‘time heals all wounds,’ is full of it. It doesn’t. The only thing that time may do for you is allow you to learn the skills you need to cope with the situation that you’re dealing with. As parents, you’re not designed to bury your children,” Captain Lee shared with Page Six.
Life as the Rosbach family knew it, is forever changed. The captain shared that he doesn’t laugh as much anyone and being alone is the hardest part for him. It is those times, where his guilt can overtake him.
Captain Lee thinks Josh began using drugs as a way to self-medicate. Josh was always very anxious but did not want to go to a doctor to talk about his issue.
The Bravo star admits a car accident where Josh sustained two broken feet and was prescribed painkillers fueled his drug battle.
By sharing Josh’s story, Captain Lee and Mary Anne hope to help other families that have suffered the same loss or are dealing with addiction right now.
“There’s a lot of guilt that comes with something like this. What if I’d gone over to his house sooner? What if I’d done this? What if I’d done that? I should have made his life easier. So you carry around a tremendous amount of guilt. And then you have to stop and realize that you can’t prevent the inevitable,” Captain Lee shared.
One thing that is helping the heartbroken father deal with the loss of his son is throwing himself into work. The crew is currently still filming Season 7, and it has been a blessing for the captain.
Below Deck airs Mondays at 9/8c on Bravo.