João Franco Recalls a Horrifying Scare Involving Colin Macy-O’Toole: “Almost Lost Someone”

Life at sea isn’t all white-glove service and bubbly. The Below Deck Down Under crew regularly finds themselves in dangerous situations, and if safety protocol isn’t followed to a T, there can be grave consequences.

During the Below Deck Down Under After Show, Below Deck Down Under Season 4 second officer João Franco recalled some of the closest calls he’s experienced while on board, and one involved Below Deck Mediterranean’s Colin Macy-O’Toole.

“[On board] Sirocco, we had a situation—I would say the deadliest that we’ve been through—with Colin,” João recalled. “He was pulling up the anchor, and he was looking over the side…the chain got caught, and it started accumulating on deck… Colin was trying to yank the last two links that were holding three and a half tons worth of weight. So when I got there, I went, ‘Colin, stop, stop, stop! F—king stop!’”

João ​​​​​​didn’t mince words on the gravity of the situation. “That there, I’ve known people who have lost lives, lost legs,” he said. “It was such a short moment where we fixed it, and nothing happened, so it didn’t seem like a big deal, but it was one of the most heartfelt times I thought, ‘F—k, we almost lost someone.’”

Joāo Franco reveals his most dangerous experiences at sea
During the After Show, João mentioned other dangerous moments in Below Deck history. You may recall when Ashton Pienaar was dragged overboard by a line during Season 6, Episode 10. João also dove into danger himself to inspect an anchor chain during Below Deck Med Season 4, Episode 9.

RELATED: João Franco & Andy Cohen Tease Below Deck Down Under Season 4: “Can’t Wait Until…”

“When we went diving—myself and Travis [Michalzik]—we actually technically came up too fast while we were diving,” João shared. “So, when we both got up, we were quite dizzy. And these again are extreme situations where, in yachting, it’s very, very dangerous.”

What to Know About Below Deck Down Under Season 4
All aboard! Below Deck Down Under Season 4 has left the dock, with new episodes airing Mondays at 8/7c on Bravo and streaming the next day on Peacock.

Captain Jason Chambers is back at the helm, along with some very familiar faces from around the Below Deck universe, including Ben Robinson, Daisy Kelliher, and João Franco.​​​​​ They will be joined by Alesia Harris, Joe Caron, Jenna Woudberg, Mike Durrant, Eddy Hounsell, and Betul Yazici.

The crew finds itself on rocky waters, as the season kicks off with a historic crossover charter featuring The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City Season 6 cast aboard M/Y Katina. As the yachties continue to set sail through Canouan in the Caribbean, they face crew drama, steamy hookups, and charter guest issues.

Want to watch in style? Check out exclusive Below Deck Down Under merch from Shop by Bravo.

He issued a message for viewers of the Below Deck universe shows: “The audience trying to understand whether it’s real or not—it doesn’t get any more real than that.”

There was a dangerous anchor problem during the Below Deck Down Under Season 4
A problem with the anchor chain also arose during Below Deck Down Under Season 4, Episode 2, as deckhand Betul Yazici was attempting to pick it up. As frothy water started coming up with the chain on deck, João yelled out to stop.

“Whenever we pull up anchor, the chain could pile up too high and too fast, and jam the system,” he explained to producers during the Feb. 9 episode. “The only way we can fix this is to let the chain all out and start the process again.”

The anchor proved difficult to correct, however, and João was forced to climb down into a space underneath the deck to try and help. He later revealed just how treacherous that is.

“Going into the bosun’s locker and then opening the chain locker is probably one of the most dangerous things you to do because of the enclosed space—you can lose oxygen immediately,” he explained on the After Show. “And I’ve fought dizziness right away.”

But Betul praised how João was unfazed by the situation. “At that moment, João, he was so calm. He was down there trying to figure out the problem,” she shared on the After Show.

Get more with Bravo Insider
Sign up for Bravo Insider for FREE to get updates about upcoming Bravo events, access to exclusive video series, Bravoleb and producer interviews, event perks, and sweepstakes, as well as the chance to share your opinion with Bravo and other superfans. Check out some of the currently available opportunities, exclusive to Bravo Insiders:

Play Along with The Real Housewives of Rhode Island Premiere Text with Bravo Challenge!
Tell Us: What’s the Most Iconic Bravo Premiere Season Moment in History?
Visit the Clubhouse IRL! Win a Trip to a Watch What Happens Live Taping
By the time the anchor chain was untwisted and fixed, the crew was 52 minutes behind schedule to take their charter guests (AKA the Season 6 cast of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City) to the beach. Although Daisy called the delay “frustrating” during the After Show, João pointed out it couldn’t be helped—and this time they had a good outcome.

“These things happen. We’ve had situations where we’ve almost lost an entire anchor. If we couldn’t get it up, we’d drop the anchor and keep going,” he shared.

New Episodes Streaming This Week on Peacock
Monday: The Real Housewives of Atlanta and The Real Housewives of Rhode Island

Tuesday: Below Deck Down Under and Top Chef

Wednesday: Summer House

Thursday: The Valley and Southern Hospitality

Friday: The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Ladies of London

Don’t miss a look at a steamy boatmance to come involving Daisy and João in the Below Deck Down Under Season 4 trailer.