Below Deck Down Under might be down a Deckhand.
Harry Van Vliet suffered a gruesome injury during the Bravo series’ Feb. 17 episode.
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The scary accident occurred as Harry was straddling a jet ski in the water and hooking it up to a pully system to bring it back on board for the night. The Australia native began screaming in pain and yelling, “Hook down! Hook down!”
Captain Jason Chambers then came to the rescue.
“Harry, you okay?” he frantically asked the yachtie before calling for backup assistance. “Production, we have an issue with Harry on the jet ski at the moment. I’ve gotta go around and retrieve him.”
Meanwhile, Harry was writhing in pain and holding up his bloody right hand with his thumb extended.
Once Harry got back on board holding his bleeding hand, he asked his fellow crew and charter guests, “Where’s the medic, quick?! I need a towel or something. I f–king crushed my thumb.”
A gruesome close-up shot of the injury showed his entire thumb nail missing and pieces of skin in shreds.
While the medic stopped the bleeding, the Deckhand explained how the mishap happened.
“I was pulling up the jet ski and I clipped the cradle on,” he recounted, “and then a wave came up and that finger, that thumb, was in between the cradle and the jet ski. So it was just crushed.”
As for the medic’s diagnosis, the injury was indeed very series—and potentially season-ending.
“You don’t have a fingernail. You can get staff infection from the water,” the medic told Harry. “I’m doing my best to cover it, but you have to be very mindful about using it. If your symptoms don’t subside, if you feel pain, if your movement is limited, then I suggest an X-ray in case you have any kind of fracture.”
As the evening went on, Harry continued to complain about the nearly unbearable throbbing in his finger, despite taking meds. And Harry’s crew mates were equally concerns about how his condition would affect his job.
As Deckhand Wihan Du Toit admitted in a confessional, “I’m quite worried about Harry and his thumb. He’s in pain. This is really going to affect the deck team massively.”
Though Harry tried to power through the charter, simple tasks—includig changing his clothes and carrying deck chairs—were challenging. And after a sleepless night due to the pain, he agreed to head to the mainland to get it checked out at a hospital the next day.
“It feels awful,” he admitted. “I’ve never felt like this in my life. This season could be over for me before it even starts.”
And Jason was equally worried about his season three future aboard the Katina.
“I don’t want to lose Harry,” the Captain shared in a confessional. “He’s got good energy, he’s good for the crew. It was time for him to grow this season, however, this could be a broken thumb as well. If that’s the issue, then we need a new Deckhand.”
See if Harry is able to carry on this season or if he’ll have to bow out early when Below Deck Down Under airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on Bravo.
Keep reading to look back at some of the most shocking crew departures in show history.
Bassett/BravoCamille Lamb
If there’s one thing to learn from Camille Lamb‘s Below Deck firing, it’s to not slack off on the job. That’s exactly why the season 10 stew was let go by substitute Captain Sandy Yawn, as Chief Stew Fraser Olender continued to criticize Camille’s behavior on board.
From being caught drinking while preparing for a new charter to partying at late hours and more, Fraser informed Captain Sandy that he had reached his “last straw.”
“She’s the common denominator in all of this,” said Captain Sandy. “Great girl, great personality, but at the same time, we have to do what’s best for the boat.”
Haston/BravoKyle Dickard
Below Deck Adventure‘s Kyle Dickard was let go just three episodes into the reality franchise’s latest series—which premiered in November 2022. After picking fights with his fellow deckhand Nathan Morley—as well as kissing crew mates in front of guests—Kyle was offered by Captain Kerry Titheradge the opportunity to resign so that his firing would not end up on his personal record.
Kyle took the Captain up on his offer and left the boat after just one charter.
Basset/BravoRaygan Tyler
Captain Sandy let bosun Raygan Tyler go during season seven of Below Deck Mediterranean, not only for causing the boat to take a small hit while docking, but also for not stepping up to the plate as a leader.
But Captain Sandy didn’t want her firing to discourage the bosun, as she told Raygan, “If I had the time and I wasn’t running a boat this size, I would train you. I would teach you.”
Bassett/BravoElizabeth Frankini
In addition to onboard romances and failing to follow directions, one of the biggest reasons behind stew Elizabeth Frankini‘s Below Deck firing was her infamous laundry room accident, during which made a toxic mess when combining bleach and laundry soap.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t know that was so toxic and I feel so bad about it,” she told E! News of the incident in December 2020. “You know, I do feel really bad, especially ’cause Francesca [Rubi] did say, ‘Take it outside.'”
Laurent Basset/BravoLuke Jones & Laura Bileskaine
The bosun and stew were both fired by Captain Jason Chambers for inappropriate behavior after a night of partying with their fellow yachties.
Luke Jones was let go after getting into Stew Margot Sisson‘s bed naked while she was drunk and unconscious. Laura Bileskaine also made unwanted advances on Deckhand Adam Kodra despite him telling her he was not interested in hooking up.
Jason made it known that consent was a must, and sent both crewmembers packing.
Lexi Wilson
Tensions between stew Lexi Wilson and Chef Mathew Shea came to a head during an explosive dinner fight on season six of Below Deck Mediterranean, during which Lexi told Matt that his parents “should’ve aborted you.” That was the last straw for Captain Sandy, who fired her not long after the incident.
Basset/BravoTom Pearson
Deckhand Tom Pearson said “bon voyage” to Below Deck Sailing Yacht after getting let go by Captain Glenn Shephard. Tom hit his last strike with the Captain after failing to report that the boat’s anchor was dragging during heavy winds one night, causing a potential safety risk for everyone on board.
“It had to be done. It was such a grievous thing that he dropped the ball there, he had to go, and we had to just be man down and live with it, you know?” Captain Glenn said of the decision on Watch What Happens Live. “So, obviously, you don’t want to do that, but yeah, it had to happen.”
Basset/PeacockRyan McKeown
Some people are picky eaters, but Below Deck Down Under’s Ryan McKeown was quite the picky chef, as he would judge guests’ food requests and fail to take criticism from Captain Jason Chambers, as well.
Perhaps Ryan’s Below Deck exit is one of the franchise’s most memorable, as he mooned Jason and viewers on his way off the boat.
Basset/PeacockMagda Ziomek
Below Deck Down Under stew Magda Ziomek‘s firing was another case of slacking on the job. After constantly being on her phone texting or video chatting with her boyfriend, Chief Stew Aesha Scott decided to replace Magda before the end of the charter season.
Wojtasik/BravoPeter Hunziker
Below Deck Mediterranean‘s Peter Hunziker was fired from the series in June 2020 after he shared an offensive post on social media.
“Peter Hunziker of Below Deck Mediterranean has been terminated for his racist post,” Bravo wrote in a statement at the time. “Bravo and 51 Minds are editing the show to minimize his appearance for subsequent episodes.”
Wojtasik/BravoHannah Ferrier
Chief Stew Hannah Ferrier was let go by Captain Sandy on Below Deck Mediterranean after boson Malia White discovered her co-star possessed undeclared Valium and a vape pen, the former of which Hannah claimed was for her anxiety.
“If I could do it all over again, I would’ve just declared them as soon as I came on board,” Hannah stated in an August 2020 interview with E! News. “It was definitely not something that was intentional. I wasn’t trying to hide anything.
Basset/Bravo/NBCU Photo BankDelaney Evans
Below Deck Mediterranean‘s Delaney Evans left just as quickly as she arrived. After initially being brought on during season six to help out Chief Stew Katie Flood, Katie determined that Delaney was doing more harm than good, choosing to let her go after just one charter.
“I think she was overwhelmed with the situation, and I think that, you know, in her mind, the best solution to the situation was just to go back to what they had before,” Delaney told Bravo Insider of Katie’s decision. “I think she was just overwhelmed with everything that was going on and all the feedback she was getting.”
Basset/Bravo/NBCU Photo BankShane Coopersmith
Deckhand Shane Coopersmith was a bit in over his head on season eight of Below Deck, as he was let go for failing to know basic skills, reporting late for duty and taking naps on the job.
Sherwood/Bravo/NBCU Photo BankLeon Walker
Chaos in the kitchen led to Captain Lee Rosbach letting Chef Leon Walker go on season three of Below Deck. After an oven fire broke out, Lee placed the blame on Chief Stew Kate Chastain but was ultimately the one sent home.
Sherwood/Bravo/NBCU Photo BankChris Brown
Like several of the franchise’s stars, Below Deck‘s Chris Brown was fired during season five for failing to fully perform his duties. After being let go by Captain Lee, Chris shared some parting words as he left the boat, stating, “Who gives a s–t?”
Mila Kolomeitseva
Chef Mila Kolomeitseva was fired by Captain Sandy on season four of Below Deck Mediterranean after failing to use her cooking skills to produce top-quality food for guests—including some not-so-nice nachos.
“Of course it makes me feel awful,” Mila said of her departure. “People like me who have big egos sometimes have to be put down to earth a little bit. But it makes me feel like I want to work even harder.”
BRAVOChandler Brooks
Sometimes people just don’t work well together. That’s exactly why Captain Lee fired Chandler Brooks during season six of Below Deck, telling the boson, “I don’t think it’s a good fit.”
(E! and Bravo are both part of the NBCUniversal family)
