American football star Damar Hamlin experienced a heart collapse during a primetime US National Football League game and is now in critical condition.
The 24-year-old Buffalo Bills player tripped over an opponent during the opening period of a game against the Cincinnati Bengals and fell to the ground.
Before being transported to a nearby hospital, he received more than 30 minutes of on-field medical care.
About an hour after the incident, the NFL decided to call the game off for the evening.
CPR and oxygen were administered to Hamlin by medical personnel on the ground
His team, the Buffalo Bills, later released a statement confirming the cardiac arrest and adding that the player’s heartbeat had been restored on the field.
As the NFL season moves closer to its dramatic play-off stages, the incident triggered a wave of support for Hamlin and brought attention back to the dangers of America’s most popular sport.
In the stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, Hamlin was hitting Bengals receiver Tee Higgins when it looked that Higgins’ helmet struck Hamlin in the chest. He got to his feet, then tripped and landed on his back.
As CPR and oxygen were administered to Hamlin by medical personnel, players from both teams crowded around him. Many were observed bowing in prayer, many were seen to be clearly upset, and some were seen to be crying.
While the Cincinnati audience was silent throughout the incident, television coverage frequently cut away from the action on the field.
Hamlin’s agent, Jordon Rooney, posted on Twitter: “His vitals are back to normal and they have put him to sleep to put a breathing tube down his throat. They are currently running tests. We will provide updates as we have them.”
Rarely are NFL games postponed due to injuries. The fact that the game had halted play, according to the commentators, was evidence of how frightening and serious the problem was.
The matchup between the two teams, who are two of the top Super Bowl hopefuls this year, will take place on a Monday night in prime time during the last week of the NFL’s regular season.
The league’s players’ association wrote in a statement: “We have been in touch with Bills and Bengals players and with the NFL. The only thing that matters at this moment is Damar’s health and well-being.”