Captain Lee Rosbach from Below Deck sadly lost his youngest son, Joshua (Josh) Rosbach, in 2019 due to a drug overdose after a struggle with addiction.

What happened to Captain Lee’s son?

  • Joshua “Josh” Rosbach died in July 2019 from an accidental opioid overdose after a long battle with addiction.
  • Captain Lee has spoken publicly about how his son had been in and out of treatment and that addiction had been an ongoing fight for their family.
  • The loss deeply affected him, and he has described it as every parent’s worst nightmare.

How Captain Lee has responded since

  • He chose to talk about Josh’s death on Below Deck when charter guests opened up about losing their own child to an overdose, and he shared that he had “recently lost” his son in a similar way.
  • Captain Lee has used interviews and social media to honor Josh’s memory and to raise awareness about the opioid crisis, saying he wants to help other families avoid the same tragedy.
  • He has even gotten a tattoo in Josh’s honor and posts tributes on anniversaries, emphasizing how proud he was of his son despite his struggle with addiction.

Recent mentions and ongoing impact

  • Years after Josh’s passing, Captain Lee still references his son when speaking about addiction and mental health, framing his advocacy as a way to give Josh’s story purpose.
  • Producers and fans have noted emotional moments on Below Deck where Lee talks about seeing certain crew members “like a son,” and how that feeling was intensified by his grief for Josh.

TL;DR: Captain Lee’s son, Joshua Rosbach, died in 2019 from an accidental opioid overdose after a long struggle with addiction, and Captain Lee now speaks out about addiction and the opioid crisis to honor his son’s memory.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.