Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin, 24, is in critical condition in a hospital in Cincinnati after the second-year NFL player collapsed on the Paycor Stadium field in the first quarter of the Bills’ game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night. Around 2 a.m. ET, the Bills released a statement revealing that Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest after he made a tackle. “His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the [University of Cincinnati] Medical Center for further testing and treatment,” the Bills’ statement continued. “He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition.”
Cardiac arrest results from electrical disturbances that cause the heart to suddenly stop beating properly. Death can quickly result if steps aren’t taken immediately. “Cardiac arrest may be reversed if CPR is performed and a defibrillator shocks the heart and restores a normal heart rhythm within a few minutes,” according to the American Heart Association. Cardiac arrest is not the same as a heart attack, although almost any known heart condition, including heart attack, can cause cardiac arrest.
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NFL fans watched the Monday Night Football broadcast in horror as Hamlin, surrounded by medical professionals, his coaches, his teammates as well as Bengals players – which effectively blocked him from ESPN cameras – received CPR on the field. His Bills teammates were visibly distraught, some clearly crying, as the horrific scene played out. Fans in the packed stadium were silent, with one of the most anticipated games of the season turning somber in the blink of an eye.
After around nine to 10 minutes of Hamlin receiving CPR, he was loaded into an ambulance onto the field and taken into the tunnel, where the medical team waited for his mother, who was in attendance, to get to him and ride with him to the level one trauma center. About an hour after Hamlin’s injury, the NFL finally officially postponed the game after initially issuing a temporary suspension. The head coaches of the Bills and Bengals, Sean McDermott and Zac Taylor, respectively, remained in communication with each other and officials. Both teams returned to their locker rooms before the postponement was announced and some Bengals players even visited the Bills’ locker room.
Hamlin’s marketing representative, Jordon Rooney, gave an update shortly after he arrived at the hospital. “His vitals are back to normal and they have put him to sleep to put a breathing tube down his throat,” Rooney wrote on Twitter. “They are currently running tests. We will provide updates as we have them.”
Some of Hamlin’s teammates stayed in Cincinnati while the rest of the team travels back to Buffalo Tuesday morning. Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs was seen arriving at the hospital where Hamlin was being treated. Many Bills players, including quarterback Josh Allen, have spoken out on social media asking for and offering prayers for their teammate.
Bills and Bengals fans arrived outside the hospital, praying and holding a vigil to support the defensive player. Taylor later visited the hospital. Hamlin’s GoFundMe toy drive campaign raised over $3.1 million overnight.
