below deck sailing yacht season 1 injury

Did Chris Miller's Back Injury End His Yachting Career on 'Below Deck Sailing'?

Updated June 5 2020, 1:07 p.m. ET

While some were initially tempted to watch Bravo's Below Deck franchise for the epic scenery, many continued the reality series due to the antics of the guests and the employee drama.

From showmances to entitled guests to near-death experiences on the ocean, the show has become a top hit on Bravo. It's no surprise then that it's since spurred two spinoffs: Below Deck Mediterranean and Below Deck Sailing Yacht .

The first season of Below Deck Sailing Yacht concludes on May 18, and the crew on Parsifal has experienced a lot of turmoil while sailing around Corfu, Greece. Deckhand Parker McCowan quit the boat after experiencing issues communicating with his superiors, and Chris Miller replaced him by joining mid-season. 

While his friendly demeanor won the praise of both bosun Paget Berry and captain Glenn Shepard , a back injury on the May 11 episode has threatened to derail his entire yachting career.

Where is Chris Miller from Below Deck Sailing now? Find out if the British deckhand was able to continue working on boats, or if his back issues have finally caught up with him for good. 

Where is Chris Miller from 'Below Deck Sailing' now?

Because of the physical nature of working on a yacht, any sort of injury to a deckhand can be career-ending. In the May 13 episode of Below Deck Sailing Yacht , Chris hurt himself while moving the Seaboob from the water to the boat. He later explained that he had been dealing with back issues for years as a result of working and playing rugby.

In the teaser for the May 18 episode, Chris' back injury is potentially far more serious than either he or Captain Glenn ever anticipated. Following his admission that his back pain had become extreme, Captain Glenn enlisted the help of a Corfu doctor to take a look at the deckhand. 

"We have a problem with the nerve that comes out either out of the fifth lumbar or the first sacral vertebrae is getting squashed and that's a bad sign. That needs a MRI scan as soon as possible," the doctor told Chris on the show. "Therefore, until we see the report, he cannot work. I want complete rest from him."

While some would take the opportunity to rest in the midst of a season as a welcome break, Chris explained to the doctor and to Captain Glenn that he wants to finish out the season. 

"Let's get the ball rolling on this MRI. If there's a potential that I can work, I want to work," Chris told Captain Glenn.

While viewers will learn if Chris' injury will cost him his job on Parsifal on the May 18 episode, the deckhand has continued traveling and spending time on boats in the months since the series filmed. He has posted photos from trips to Australia and Los Angeles on his Instagram feed. He also chronicles his photography career on a separate account, @TheBeardedManTravels . 

It's unclear if Chris has continued his yachting career, and he has not discussed any issues resulting from his back injury online. Based on some of his travel shots, he's still living a very active life. He resides in Wiltshire, a county in Southwest England. 

Are Chris and Georgia from 'Below Deck Sailing Yacht' dating?

Though Chris joined the cast more than halfway through the charter season, he quickly developed feelings for third stewardess Georgia Grobler. He took the South African singer on a date to get fish pedicures, and he made his intentions clear that their outing was a date.

While Georgia later admitted that she actually had feelings for Paget (whose girlfriend, Ciara Duggan is also on the show), things appear to still be amicable between her and Chris. 

View this post on Instagram That smile... #sailing #belowdeck #belowdecksailing #belowdecksailingyacht #bravo #bravotv #bravotvaddict #mornings #watersports #realitytv #sunrise #travels #adventure #funtimes #superyacht #parsifal3 #sunrisephotography #smile #work #salty #perininavi #greece #corfu #kerkira #bravogreatphoto #sailinglife #yachting #superyachtlife #thebeardedmantravels #saltyair A post shared by Chris Miller (@chrismillersailor) on May 5, 2020 at 12:15pm PDT

On May 5, Chris posted a slideshow of solo pictures of Georgia, which he captioned "That smile." He also put up a video of her singing with Paget, and a still from one of her performances.

The only showmance of the season may have been between Jenna McGillivray and Adam Glick, but at least Georgia and Chris appear to still be good friends. 

Below Deck Sailing Yacht airs on Mondays at 9 p.m. on Bravo. 

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Inside Below Deck Sailing Yacht ’s Crash, and the Dramatic Aftermath

Below Deck viewers have survived kitchen fires, nightmare charter guests , dramatic dismissals, drug scandals , and soured romantic relationships. But Monday’s episode of Below Deck Sailing Yacht, “Total Ship Show,” is unprecedented in franchise history, in terms of its sheer disaster quotient. Within the first five minutes of the episode, the Parsifal yacht crashes into a stone dock in high winds, destroying the end of the vessel and totaling Captain Glenn Shephard ’s already-dented ego. (Last week, Parsifal suffered a less serious collision. We hope the sailing yacht is not cursed.) The rest of the episode unravels like a high-paced thriller set aboard an out-of-control luxury yacht.

The villains: the shrill, gluten-free charter guests, who are too self-involved to notice the Parsifal ’s jacked transom door. The dramatic B-plot: the chef screwing up a five-course meal by serving steak after dessert. As if this were not enough action for a single episode, there is also an STD scare that forces an otherwise respectable woman to reckon with an indiscretion.

“It was almost like an embarrassment of riches,” said Below Deck executive producer Courtland Cox, of the chart-topping chaos in Croatia. “It’s amazing that this was all happening, but it’s also difficult to tell all of these stories in an interesting way within a limited amount of time per episode.” Some viewers complained that the season was starting off too smoothly, but Cox trusted the process and knew that such interesting cast members would yield climactic story lines. “With any great narrative structure, you want to have peaks and valleys that eventually crescendo into something interesting…. The yacht crashing, guests being crazy, and Jean-Luc [Cerza Lanaux] being worried about getting an STD, all that stuff is the seasoning.”

Ahead, Cox and Parsifal chief stew Daisy Kelliher take us behind the scenes of Monday’s bombshell episode to answer all of our burning questions—about everything from the crash to the onboard romances, including Dani’s pregnancy announcement.

Executive producer Cox was tucked away in a tiny control room on the Parsifal during both accidents, where he was able to watch what was happening from three different camera vantage points, and hear what was happening from the walkie-talkie dialogue on deck. Cox said that he knew that the Parsifal was going to hit the dock about five seconds before it happened—when first mate Gary King began calling out the shrinking measurements between the yacht and the dock, but the boat, because of the intense wind and swell, kept hurtling toward the dock at full speed. Because of a mechanical error that short-circuited the thrusters, Captain Glenn was not able to propel the vessel in the reverse direction.

As the ship sped toward the dock, the Below Deck producer juggled a contradictory range of concerns: the fear of a captive passenger aboard an out-of-control vessel; worry for his fellow shipmates; heartbreak for Captain Glenn, who was about to bite it in front of multiple cameras; and, conversely, the shark-like instincts of a reality-TV producer keen to capture the chaotic melee in all of its gruesome glory.

“The human part of me, my heart aches for Glenn,” Cox told Vanity Fair. Still, he continued, “My job is to capture what’s actually happening—so we told our camera operators, ‘Stay on Glenn.’ We don’t push right up in his face or get in his way, but the story in the moment was that Glenn hit the dock. How was he going to rectify the situation?”

In addition to seeing the crash, viewers also witness Captain Glenn’s spirit breaking close up—as the sweet Parsifal pilot realizes, in devastatingly real time, that he has not only incurred thousands of dollars in yacht damages, but has done so with a camera trained on him.

“I probably watched this episode 15 times in various incarnations, and every time I see Glenn’s face in the immediate aftermath of hitting that dock, I still get very emotional,” said Cox. “It’s a catastrophic moment for any yacht captain when you do damage to a boat. It’s the worst possible thing. And I also know that that’s compounded by a factor of a million because there are TV cameras on you.”

Cox has produced 16 seasons’ worth of Below Deck, and called the crash “the second-most intense moment ever on the series.” (The first-most intense was a near-death accident in 2018 during which deckhand Ashton Pienaar was pulled overboard after his ankle was caught in ropes.) “As a producer, it’s amazingly compelling. But as a person onboard, it’s terrifying…. But Glenn is a consummate professional. He didn’t try to deflect or make excuses or try to tap dance his way out of it. He went quickly into crisis mode, damage mode.”

Parsifal chief stew Daisy Kelliher said that watching the crash in the episode was worse than living it, “because I was downstairs when it happened. I have never seen a boat that crashed the dock or been in a boat that crashed the dock.”

Speaking about Glenn, Kelliher said, “He was pretty upset at the time, but you quickly calm down. It was an accident, and the main thing is nobody got hurt. It’s like banging your car. You get the insurance sorted. You learn from it. And you move on.”

How quickly did the episode’s events happen in real life?

The unfolded over the course of about 72 hours, according to Cox. “The boat hits the dock, it looks terrible, and Glenn’s like, ‘Well, the guests are getting here in four hours.’… The crew did a great job at kind of compartmentalizing, and putting the dock behind us as these charter guests come on. And the story becomes about J.L.’ s anxiety about the STD, and [chef] Natasha’s anxiety about these guests having crazy demands that are emotionally taxing on the heels of a traumatic event…. It’s exhausting for them.”

What did producers make of another unprecedented plot twist: J.L.’s on-camera concerns about a potential sexually transmitted disease?

This twist surprised even Cox. “I’m a fossil who grew up in the ’70s and ’80s,” said Cox. “What was going through my head was, ‘There’s a very easy way he could have prevented this—by using some kind of protection. If you roll the dice, you kinda gotta accept what happens to you. I’m not a heartless monster TV producer. I don’t want anyone to ever suffer or go through something they have an existential crisis over. In that moment, you’re hoping that it’s at least one of the lesser STDs that is easily treated.”

When did producers discover that Dani was pregnant? (The cast member revealed her pregnancy on Instagram last month.)

“Dani brought it to our attention when we were pretty far into the postproduction process,” said Cox. “Even once Dani found out, I think she kind of wanted to sit with [the news] herself. Then she let us know and said, ‘Hey, just so you know, I’m pregnant.’ We said, ‘Okay, great.’ I left that up to her and how much information she wanted to give us. My first reaction was, ‘That’s fantastic. Congratulations.’ Because she made it clear throughout the season that she wanted a family. The rest of that is for Dani to figure out.”

“I really don’t ask Dani much about it,” added Kelliher in a separate phone call. “I’m very aware that that she probably feels like she’s explaining herself to a lot of people. So I try and respect her privacy. We’ve spoken a little about it, but I figure the less I know the better.”

Do Daisy and Natasha eventually get to a place of mutual understanding and respect?

“I didn’t mind her,” said Kelliher. “On the show it looks like we hated each other. We were very civil with each other, and would laugh and sit with each other. It wasn’t constant arguing—that only came when it was time to serve meals…. At that stage, I had kind of given up, because I had tried everything. She didn’t want my help. She didn’t want to communicate with me…. I’m asking you if you’re serving five courses, you’re telling me no. I could stand here and keep arguing, but I wasn’t going to win in this.… We have a good relationship now. I have respect for her. But that [tension] never changes.”

What is Daisy’s read on the love triangle tensions between Gary, Sydney, and Alli?

“I wish I had been there for some of the conversations [between the three of them], because I don’t think they would have escalated as much,” said Kelliher. “I do think Sydney was pretty intense. I knew she was upset and understood why she was upset. If you’re a girl, it’s embarrassing if somebody chooses someone over you…. But some of the things she said were quite mean to Ali, and I didn’t really like that. If I had been there, that wouldn’t have happened because I wouldn’t have allowed it.”

“I’ve definitely seen love triangles. I’ve been involved in love triangles. This was intense because it escalated so quickly. I didn’t really get it. I guess maybe we’re all intense people—maybe that’s why you do a TV show about yachting. But I did find the whole thing a bit weird from all sides. I was like, ‘We’ve known each other [for] like three weeks…and don’t even know each others’ last names.’ Settle down.”

Below Deck Sailing Yacht airs on Bravo at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

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Here’s What the Cast of Below Deck Sailing Yacht Is Currently Up to Now

Are Jenna and Adam still together?

After the massive success of Below Deck and its spinoff Below Deck Med , Bravo decided to test the waters on a new iteration of its hit series earlier this year. That's where Below Deck: Sailing Yacht came in, taking place on a luxury sailing boat, the Parsifal III, adrift in the Ionian Sea.

From a spontaneous proposal failing spectacularly to a joke about being breastfed as an adult, Sailing Yacht was as much a dramatic success as the other franchises. It also left fans wondering about what's happening to the crew since the show wrapped. Did chief stew Jenna and chef Adam stay together? What's going on with Georgia's music? And most important—is Captain Glenn really as cool as we think he is?

Here's what the cast of Below Deck: Sailing Yacht is up to now:

Jenna MacGillivray

When the Canadian stepped onto the Parsifal III, fans got exactly what they hoped for in a chief stew—a no-nonsense leader who also had a romantic spot in her heart for the chef in the galley. Though her relationship with Adam Glick proved to be tumultuous, the two dated for some time after the season wrapped, even taking some time to road-trip together.

These days, Jenna is enjoying some time off from yachting, but given her recent IG pics, she's excited to come back to another charter season.

Madison Stalker

Wherever Madison went, drama always seemed to follow the second stew during season one of Below Deck: Sailing Yacht . In between epic meltdowns (including a major one between her and Jenna over her lack of enthusiasm for her job), she left the boat a better person and leaving fans ready to see more from their new favorite cast member.

Judging by her Instagram account, she's taken a break from yachting (perhaps until next season of the show).

Georgia Grobler

As good of a third stew Georgia was on deck, fans were more invested in her budding music career and growing feelings for a very taken Paget. She proved she was great at her job and could make a career out of yachting.

While it's unclear whether she stayed in the yachting industry post- Sailing Yacht , Georgia's working on music, premiering new music videos on IGTV during the quarantine.

Below Deck Med fans were so excited when Adam joined the crew as the chef for Sailing Yacht . While he abided by the preference sheets this time around, he also began a rocky romance with chief stew Jenna, making most of the crew members wonder if he was there for his job or the girl.

Since the show wrapped, Adam's busy onshore, cooking, and traveling with his adorable puppy. Oh, and Adam has a web series, Stoked , where he travels across the country to meet with local chefs and learn about their regions... all while over a campfire.

Paget Berry and Ciara Duggan

If there was any couple to root for from the entire Below Deck franchise, it's Paget and Ciara. The duo made a great team on deck, and mostly kept their relationship to a minimum on cameras—a first for Bravo! As they were the most familiar with the Parsifal III, the couple was the most reliable, and fans loved seeing their relationship continue blossoming post-filming.

These days, the couple has a lot to be excited about—they're now engaged. While they're soaking up their romantic bliss, they're also still working in yachting, although it's sadly on separate boats.

Byron Hissey

As the chief engineer of Parsifal III, Byron was clearly there to just do his job. But, given how he was the only cast member to have a wife and child back home, he also became the dad of the group, taking care of the other crew members.

Since filming wrapped, it looks like Byron is back on a boat doing exactly what he does best—fixing and making sure the engines run smoothly.

Parker McCown

Relatively new to the yachting industry, fans are more likely to remember the deckhand for his enraged rant about being breastfed by his mother. While he didn't necessarily have all the skills to make it as a deckhand, he definitely had a soft spot for his ex-girlfriend Kaiti, whom he eventually left Parsifal III to go back to at home.

It looks like the decision to leave the show worked out for Parker, as he's now engaged to Kaiti and writing some tunes while onshore.

Chris Miller

As Parker's replacement for the latter half of the season, Chris proved a great deckhand and an asset to the team, all while battling an injury.

These days, Chris seems to be taking some time off from yachting to travel across Europe.

Captain Glenn Sheppard

Captain Glenn was tough, fair, and not afraid to have a good time, which both crew and guests very much appreciated.

Thankfully, his reality TV experience hasn't turned him off yachting forever. Glenn is still the captain for Parsifal III and traveling through the Mediterranean.

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Below Deck Sailing Yacht

Capt. Glenn Shephard and his crew set sail in a luxury sailing yacht to explore the crystal-clear blue waters of the Ionian Sea. The sailing yacht brings new challenges to these young, attra... Read all Capt. Glenn Shephard and his crew set sail in a luxury sailing yacht to explore the crystal-clear blue waters of the Ionian Sea. The sailing yacht brings new challenges to these young, attractive and adventurous yachties. Capt. Glenn Shephard and his crew set sail in a luxury sailing yacht to explore the crystal-clear blue waters of the Ionian Sea. The sailing yacht brings new challenges to these young, attractive and adventurous yachties.

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• Trivia Below Deck Sailing Yacht will introduce Parsifal III. The 177-foot yacht sleeps 12 guests at a time and typically has a nine-member crew, according to Yacht Charter Fleet. To charter the yacht, prices start at $195,000 for a week. During high season, though, a week on the yacht is expected to cost around $225,000.
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Below deck sailing yacht's future is in limbo again (is it actually coming back or did gary king ruin the show for good).

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Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 5 has been one of the most long-awaited in franchise history, but the show may not return despite previous reports due to Gary King’s poor behavior . The Below Deck franchise has several shows that follow yachties in their lives working aboard luxurious vessels as they take Captain’s orders and serve charter guests. There’s always a layer of drama beneath the surface. From crew to crew, different dynamics become prevalent and create all sorts of issues, from romantic problems to interpersonal squabbles. Below Deck Sailing Yacht has become one of the most interesting Below Deck shows.

Although Below Deck Sailing Yacht has several seasons under its belt, the show has been struggling since its last season. With its last season, Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 4 , having come out well over a year ago, many have been wondering where the next season of the series is. Unfortunately, the Parsifal III’s Gary has made some questionable choices in the past. With serious allegations of sexual misconduct coming out after the last season of the series, could be the reason the show is delayed or canceled. After some false hope, could Below Deck Sailing Yacht be gone forever ?

Below Deck Sailing Yacht’s Logo Was Featured In A Bravo Promo

The show was considered dead.

Below Deck Sailing Yacht season 5 was considered dead by many fans of the franchise, but there was a bit of hope. When the logo of the series was featured on Bravo, it seemed the already-filmed fifth season could be surfacing soon . In a promo revealing what shows would be coming to the network this fall, Below Deck Sailing Yacht ’s logo was prominently featured alongside shows previously confirmed to be coming back by the network. Although there was no formal confirmation from the network about the show, many took the promo as a clear indicator it would be returning.

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While Below Deck Sailing Yacht is one of the more popular series in the franchise, things have been particularly difficult to discuss after Bravo chose to mostly ignore Gary’s sexual misconduct allegations. Many believed that they would just quietly cancel the series rather than address the issues , releasing themselves from the responsibility of dealing with Gary’s behavior . With the promo featuring the Below Deck Sailing Yacht logo, many were shocked to see that the series would likely be returning even after facing such an enormous scandal.

Some Have Noticed The Logo Has Been Removed

It may have been added in error.

While the logo for Below Deck Sailing Yacht was originally in the promo about what was coming to Bravo this fall, some viewers who have seen the promo run since noticed that it’s been removed. Now, a version of the promo without a Below Deck Sailing Yacht logo entirely has been airing on the network, confusing viewers. Many are wondering if the original promo was a mistake, and Below Deck Sailing Yacht isn’t returning at all , while others are assuming it could just mean there’s another delay with the next season of the series.

Could Below Deck Sailing Yacht Be Over?

Gary’s actions changed the trajectory of the series.

Some BDSY viewers are convinced that the series will still be returning at an indeterminate time, but others are certain that Gary’s actions changed the trajectory of the series and it’s now come to an end . While Gary has vehemently denied the allegations against him, some Below Deck Sailing Yacht viewers have shared that they believe the victim and could see Gary committing some terrible acts. While it’s possible the promo did indicate the return of Below Deck Sailing Yacht , it seems more likely that Gary’s behavior has pushed the show off course, causing it to drift out to sea.

Source: Gary King /Instagram

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Below Deck Sailing Yacht is a spin-off of the Below Deck reality television series. Premiering on Bravo, the show follows the life of a Yacht crew as they attempt to navigate a busy Charter season in which many customers make use of a 177-foot sailing yacht. Over the first three seasons, the yacht has been to Greece, Croatia, and Spain.

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'Below Deck' Star Gets Pulled Overboard in Scary Accident: 'We Were Within 30 Seconds of Him Dying'

The South African  Below Deck deckhand survived a terrifying accident on Tuesday's episode

Dave Quinn is a Senior Editor for PEOPLE. He has been working at the brand since 2016, and is the author of the No. 1 New York Times best-selling book, Not All Diamonds and Rosé: The Inside Story of the Real Housewives from the People Who Lived It.

Ashton Pienaar is lucky to be alive.

The South African Below Deck deckhand survived a terrifying accident on Tuesday's episode, barely escaping with his life as he was pulled overboard.

"We were within 30 seconds of him dying," Captain Lee Rosbach explained to audiences, choking back tears. "I'd have to call his parents and tell them their son is dead and I'm responsible. I don't know how to deal with that. I have kids. And I don't know how I'd make that call."

"It scares the f--- out of me," Rosbach said, adding that it was the most harrowing incident he's seen in 35 years of yachting. "To lose a crew member like that? No sir. Not going to happen. … We averted a catastrophe through luck and that's what I want the crew to realize. How fortunate we were. We need to really care about ourselves and our loved ones. 'Cause in the end, that's all you got."

Trouble started for Pienaar when the crew's vessel was leaving the port in Puna'auia, Tahiti. Standing on the swim deck, he was helping set out the line to tow the tender behind the yacht. But unbeknownst to Pienaar, he was accidentally standing in the wrong place, with his foot on the water side of the line.

Within seconds, the tow line wrapped around Pienaar's ankle and pulled him overboard.

Gasping for breath while being dragged underwater, Pienaar let out a scream for help. Fellow deckhand Rhylee Gerber called "man overboard" over the radio.

Luckily, one of the cameramen, Brent Freeburg, immediately stepped in to help. Putting down his camera, he helped get the line loose so that Pienaar's leg could be freed and he could swim to safety. "Thank god for Brent, the camera guy," Gerber explained. "He didn't hesitate for a second. He put that camera down and he did what he needed to do. I just … Ashton owes Brent his life."

What would have happened had Freeburg not stepped in? Rosbach outlined it for the crew later on. "You have a boat that's 500 tons rolling forward, another boat that's two and a half tons sitting back there," he said. "As soon as that tinder draws tight, it's going to sever his foot and he's going to bleed out."

When the tension was relieved, Pienaar was able to swim to safety. He was then alone for over an hour. "When I was in the tender, there were times I wanted to throw up, there were times I was almost in tears, and then there were times I was just calm," he said.

Later, he reflected on what the experience was like at the moment, admitting that it was "the scariest thing I ever went through in my life."

"I thought my foot was off," he said. "As I hit the water, I was fighting to get my head up, to get air. I realized the line is going to now take tension. That was the most intense force that I've ever felt in my life — the way that that line tightened around my ankle. In that moment, I mentally prepared myself for my foot to be ripped off."

"Nobody would have got to me in time to stop the bleeding and I would have bled out in the water," he continued. "Brent managed to get those lines up just in time. I owe my life to the guy."

Pienaar eventually made his way back on board, where he was greeted by his crew, including bosun Ross Inia.

"Don't scare me like that again bro," Inia said, giving him a hug. "Just as long you're all good bro. Don't scare me like that. Promise you're all right bro."

Inia had gotten emotional after the accident, tearing up in his bunk's bathroom. "It just puts life into perspective," he said. "It's like, one minute you're here and one minute you're gone."

Chief stew Kate Chastain agreed. "We don't want people to know how dangerous the job is because that would be scary. But it is. And I think Ashton and what happened today is a very good reminder," she said.

Remarkably, Pienaar survived the incident with only a bruised ankle. "I definitely feel lucky to be alive," he said.

Once the charter was over, he attempted to give back his share of the tip, as a way of saying thanks to his crewmates. "I want to thank you guys for the way you looked after me. You all individually came and checked on me numerous times. And to me, I value that more than any tip on this table," Pienaar said. "I didn't do any work on this charter and personally I don't feel that I deserve this. And [captain], if it's okay with you, I'd like if you just split this."

Rosbach wasn't having it. "That's not okay with me," he said. "That's not the way we roll."

And even though Pienaar survived, Rosbach still made sure his crew took the time to learn from the experience, showing them the actual footage so they could understand the severity of the situation.

"What really surprised me watching that footage is how quickly I'm in that water," Pienaar said, looking back. "I'm just thanking God right now that I'm sitting here watching this and that it's not a completely different scenario. I've been given a second chance here. You kind of get reminded about what's important."

"We got extremely lucky," Rosbach told his crew, telling Pienaar, "You're the luckiest of all."

Below Deck airs Tuesdays (9 p.m. ET) on Bravo.

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'Below Deck Sailing Yacht' Is Returning for Season 5 After Gary's Scandal

Below Deck Sailing Yacht is coming back for season 5 after Gary King's sexual misconduct scandal.

Bravo announced on Monday, September 16, that the next season reunites Captain Glenn Shephard , chief stew Daisy Kelliher and Gary as they spend their charter season in Ibiza. The rest of the cast includes chef Cloyce Martin , chef engineer Davide Morosi , stews Diana Cruz , Danni Warren and deckhands Keith Allen and Emma Crouch .

The upcoming installment comes more than one year after Below Deck Sailing Yacht wrapped up its fourth season on Bravo in July 2023.

Gary's future as a cast member has been up in the air, however, since a production assistant from the show accused him of making unwanted advances while filming season 4.

Below Deck Sailing Yacht's Biggest Drama Through the Years

In a Rolling Stone exposé, which was published in October 2023, Samantha Suarez and other former employees, who asked to remain anonymous, accused Bravo of allegedly helping cover up Gary's inappropriate behavior.

"It was insane. There were multiple incidents of sexual harassment in front of multiple producers after this person had been given verbal warnings multiple times," one of the accusers alleged. "I had to promote and make this guy who just assaulted someone look awesome. That was my job, to make this person look cool, capable and exciting."

Samantha recalled being asked to look after Gary when he allegedly got drunk. Once filming wrapped, Samantha remained with Gary in his hotel room before he tried to stop her from leaving by pressing himself against her. Samantha alleged that Gary refused to let her leave until she started to fight back.

According to Samantha, she alerted producers about the incident , who told Gary to sleep on the boat on days when the crew wasn't filming as a way to keep him out of the hotel.

Former 'Below Deck Sailing Yacht' Stars: Where Are They Now?

Bravo addressed the allegations in a statement to Rolling Stone , saying, "Bravo is committed to maintaining a safe and respectful workplace for cast and crew on our reality shows. We require our third-party production companies to have appropriate workplace policies and trainings in place and a clear process on how to report concerns. The concerns Ms. Suarez raised in July 2022 were investigated at that time and action was taken based on the findings."

Gary has maintained his innocence since news broke about the claim. "I know [that I did nothing wrong], and I know the truth but it still hurts when people will tell lies to bring you down," he replied to a fan via Instagram one month later.

In the aftermath, Gary didn't appear at BravoCon in November 2023 despite initially being announced as a guest. He has since stated that he wasn't ruling out a Below Deck Sailing Yacht return.

A Guide to 'Below Deck' and Its Many Spinoffs

Gary replied to several Instagram users in December 2023 who reminded him there's a "life after" Below Deck .

"I hope so, will have to see but will definitely be trying to stay on peoples tv screens ," Gary wrote back. In a separate comment, Gary maintained that he would return to reality TV, adding, "I will do and hopefully be back on your screens, everyday I'm trying to better myself so hopefully if they ask me back you'll see this."

Below Deck Sailing Yacht star Captain Glenn Shephard weighs in on Season 5: ‘Be paitent’

Below Deck Sailing Yacht star Captain Glenn Shephard has given fans a bit of hope as Season 5 continues to be pushed back.

Like the rest of us, Captain Glenn is ready to have the hit sailing show back on the small screen.

Season 5 was confirmed at BravoCon last November, even after the sexual misconduct claims against Gary came out.

However, the show didn’t air in its usual spring/summer slot, and now fans are worried.

Captain Glenn recently spoke out with a message about the hit Bravo show.

Below Deck Sailing Yacht star Captain Glenn Shephard weighs in on Season 5

This week, the Bravo personality opened up to The Standard to discuss Below Deck Sailing Yacht Season 5.

“They announced it at BravoCon in November. But then it didn’t air in Spring or Summer. I think it’s coming soon, but I don’t know exactly when. The network decides that,” he shared.

Captain Glenn added, “I get endless questions on social media about it, but all I can say is, ‘It’s coming soon.’ We just have to be patient.”

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Colin MacRae – Parlay Revival (@parlayrevival_colin)

While we love us some Captain Glenn, there’s another reason we are losing hope for the hit sailing show returning soon. As Monsters and Critics previously reported, Bravo initially included Below Deck Sailing Yacht in the fall promo.

However, the last couple of promos have strictly focused on the Real Housewives shows hitting Bravo airwaves this fall.

Will Captain Glenn keep doing Below Deck Sailing Yacht?

All of the chaos surrounding Season 5 has some fans wondering if Captain Glenn may take a step back from the show. Captain Glenn does seem to be enjoying his downtime traveling the world with his girlfriend, Danelis “Dani” Jimenez.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Captain Glenn Shephard (@capt_glennshephard)

Never fear, though. Captain Glenn has no plans to step back from Below Deck Sailing Yacht any time soon.

“I’ll probably continue doing it as long as they keep asking me back. I love it. But because of my age, it’s time for me to stop and smell the roses a bit. My sailing days for work aren’t over, but I’m not going to do it full-time anymore. I’d love to do more seasons of the show,” Captain Glenn shared with the outlet.

Here’s hoping we get Captain Glenn Shephard back on the small screen soon. Keep checking back with Monsters and Critics for more Below Deck Sailing Yacht news.

Below Deck Sailing Yacht is currently on hiatus on Bravo. Seasons 1-4 are streaming on Peacock.

No one wants Gary the drunk on TV! @BravoTV let him continuously get drunk and sexually harass women! He even tried to get one of the girls on Project Runway drunk so he could take advantage of her! He’s a predator & he does not belong on TV reaping all the benefits with free booze and I might add a hefty paycheck to roofie women!

A chef from 'Below Deck Sailing Yacht' talks about his head injury that appears on the show — and other kitchen accidents from his past

• Chef Marcos Spaziani joined the cast of " Below Deck Sailing Yacht " for season three.
• While filming, he hit his head on the fridge, causing part of his scalp to rip off, he said.
• Spaziani told Insider about the incident from the show, plus other injuries from working in kitchens.

Marcos Spaziani, a chef and restaurateur, has worked in kitchens for decades, but this season of Bravo's " Below Deck Sailing Yacht " was his first time cooking on a sailboat.

This season of the pre-taped show, which airs every Monday at 8 p.m. ET and follows a crew of yachting staff through their charter season, is set off the coast of Menorca, Spain. 

In an interview with Insider, Spaziani said one challenge his new workplace has presented is cooking in a more narrow galley kitchen — which becomes a near-completely tilted space when the boat picks up wind.

In episode four, "Oopsie Daisy," of the reality show's current season, viewers saw the chef try to reach into the fridge to prep dinner while the yacht was moving, but in doing so he hit his head and started bleeding. Spaziani said he had lost a piece of his scalp along with a chunk of hair after colliding with the edge of the stainless-steel refrigerator.

The chef said he bumps into things a lot while working as he's a self-proclaimed big guy, but he's never gotten hurt like this before. 

"I hear the sound and I see the chunk of my skin in the refrigerator and realize, 'Oh my gosh this is mine,'" Spaziani said. "It was my fault." 

On March 18, after the episode aired, Spaziani shared a photo of his head bleeding after the incident on Instagram. In the caption of his post, he wrote that his hair has since grown back and that in future he'll be "way more careful" in the kitchen.

Determined to please his charter guests, Spaziani had his crewmates wrap his head with gauze and kept cooking while he waited for a doctor to arrive via another boat. Viewers watched the doctor clear Spaziani for serious injuries and bandage him up (he didn't require stitches). 

While he told Insider the incident was "one of the most painful things I've ever experienced," Spaziani said it's not the only time he has sustained an injury in the kitchen.

The chef told Insider about an injury he said occurred while chopping vegetables in a restaurant kitchen as a young cook. He was around 17 or 18 years old, he said, adding that he got a little too confident with his chopping skills when his finger got in the way.

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"I took my whole nail with the knife," Spaziani said. "It was disgusting."

Spaziani said that instead of going to the hospital and getting stitches, he wrapped up the injury and kept cooking. The nail eventually grew back, he said.

Also early on in his career, he said, an arm burn took him out of kitchens for a year. Spaziani said he sustained first, second, and third-degree burns after taking a sheet pan out of an oven while working in a restaurant.

Before the incident occured, he said he was cooking a large fish, and in trying to find a safe surface to put the pan down he chose to rest it on top of a Salamander broiler. As he transferred the pan, he said, the cooked fish slid on the surface.

"The fish moved and the oil kind of made a big wave and went straight onto my arm," Spaziani said. 

He described his arm as "completely melted" and "bleeding everywhere." The pain was so bad that Spaziani said he passed out when staff scrubbed everything off in the hospital. His arm took around two months to recover from the burns, according to Spaziani, who said he took a year off from cooking after that as he didn't want to work in or around a kitchen.

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Does Below Deck Sailing Yacht's Dani Soares Have a New Boyfriend? We Examine the Photo Evidence

The former BDSY  stewardess shared some life updates that hinted at a new romance and shared a peek at her adorable daughter.

Below Deck Sailing Yacht   alum Dani Soares  recently shared some life updates, and they have us wondering whether the Sydney, Australia-based mom has a new love in her life. 

How to Watch

Watch Below Deck Sailing Yacht on Bravo on Monday, October 7 at 9/8c and next day on  Peacock . Catch up on the Bravo app . 

But even if we were left questioning some things, one thing is abundantly clear: Dani and her daughter, Lilly , have a total blast together. Keep scrolling to see what's new with the former stew. 

Is Below Deck Sailing Yacht alum Dani Soares dating anyone? 

One of Dani's pictures showed her gazing fondly at a gentleman who had his arm around her. In the photo, both Dani and her mystery man were dressed to the nines, she in a long navy-blue dress with a plunging neckline and cutouts, he clad in a royal blue jacket over a crisp white shirt. Her caption simply read: "Couple goals." 

Whether they are coupled up as friends or something else, the photo made it clear that Dani and her plus-one look great together, and seem to have a great time together, too. 

Dani Soares shares an update on her daughter Lilly 

Dani has also shared some recent updates on her daughter, Lilly, who apparently has a blast anywhere she goes. In a January 25 Instagram post , she included a video of her and Lilly riding a kiddie train. The little one was thrilled, smiling wide and squealing with delight throughout the ride. In her caption, Dani wrote: "POV: You having the most [fun] on a tiny train that goes in circles for 2 minutes." 

The former yachting pro also shared a snapshot from the special day in her Instagram Stories. The photo showed her and Lilly smiling wide on the ever-so-fun train ride. "Long weekend happiness," Dani captioned the snap. 

On December 28, 2023, Dani shared another video of Lilly living her best life. In the Instagram post , the little girl was seen lying down serenely splashing the water around her as she spread out like a starfish. "2023: If all you did was survive, it's ok. We made it," Dani captioned the photo, noting that she was "looking forward to 2024."

Dani Soares opens up about motherhood 

Back in 2022, Dani shared her philosophy on motherhood with another post that showed her sweet little girl. The photo featured Lilly dressed up in shades of pink, sitting in front of a flower mural.

“My favourite flowers,” Dani captioned the capture of her then 14-month-old daughter. “My number one priority always! Only a real parent understands that life is not about you anymore, it’s about the life you made and brought into this world and everything you do is for her.”

Dani  welcomed her daughter in May 2021 . It was later confirmed that Jean-Luc Cerza-Lanaux , who also appeared on Season 2 of  Below Deck Sailing Yacht,  is Lilly’s father.

Dani Soares Shares Sweet New Photos of Her Daughter: “Where Has Time Gone?!”

Does dani soares still working in yachting after below deck .

Dani, who according to her Instagram bio is now a nurse, opened up about finding time to balance it all in another Instagram post .

"Mum guilty! Oh my goodness! Honestly it's so hard. I'm basically feeling guilty 24/7. I feel guilty if I study, if I go to work, if I go out, if I stay in, if I cook something not super healthy, if I order delivery, and so on... I haven't learned how to navigate this yet but I'm giving my best. My daughter it's my priority and will always be," she said.  Also, if you are a parent who has 0 care of your child, we're not the same! I can't make any small decisions in my life without taking my daughter in consideration, as it should be. If nothing in your life has changed since having kids, we're not the same. Anyways, we're always wrong in someone's eyes and in our own eyes too often."

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