Musician Suffers Cardiac Arrest While Opening for Sting

Liverpool’s annual On The Waterfront music festival was briefly halted over the weekend after a musician suffered cardiac arrest on stage.

Drummer Lionel Duke was performing with his band The Christians supporting Sting at Liverpool’s Pier Head Sunday night when he suddenly collapsed on stage and was rushed to the hospital.

The band was just two songs into their set, which began at approximately 8 p.m. following performances from Traits and Sophie Grey, when Duke collapsed, according to the Liverpool Echo and the BBC. His bandmate, singer Gary Christian, called for help while a privacy screen was set up onstage. A message on an LED screen at the venue read, “We appreciate your patience and understanding. Medical staff are with the performer, and we will provide an update as soon as we can.”

Duke was attended to by emergency personnel and transported to the hospital via ambulance. The band’s manager later told the audience, “We’re really hoping he is going to make it. He didn’t have a pulse, he’s got one now, we think. Thank you so much.” According to the BBC, she later said in a statement that Duke underwent an operation at the city’s Heart and Chest Hospital and was placed in an “induced coma.”

Duke’s condition is now known at this time. In a statement to the band’s Facebook page, The Christians thanked fans for their continued support.

“Thankyou so much to all the many many messages regarding our drummer Lionel Duke who suffered a cardiac arrest while performing at tonights amazing concert ahead of Sting,” the message said. “We are awaiting news from the Heart and Chest hospital at Broad Green and thank the phenomenal team of medics present from On the Waterfront Liverpool team who stepped in so swiftly to help our poor Lionel.”

Fans continued to send their support in the comments, one person writing, “Wishing him a speedy recovery. He is in good hands at Broadgreen.” Another person commented, “Praying he gets the treatment he needs and thinking of the band and his family.”

The Christians, formed in 1985 and also featuring Joey Ankrah, Neil Griffiths, Mike Triggs, and Bobby Kewley, was performing as part of the four-day festival, headlined by Sting. Following Duke’s medical emergency, On The Waterfront continued as planned, with Sting taking the stage after being given The Christians’ blessing. The former Police frontman said he was “praying he’s going to be fine. Our thoughts are with him,” per Manchester Evening News.