Damar Hamlin, the second-year Buffalo Bills safety, suffered a cardiac arrest after collapsing on the field on a Monday Night Football matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. He was rushed to a local hospital.
The 24-year-old Hamlin tackled Bengals receiver Tee Higgins and attempted to stand up after the collision then fell back down to the ground. Players from both teams quickly signaled the medical staff to attend to Hamlin. The situation grew dire as an ambulance came. Hamlin received CPR for several minutes then was rushed to University of Cincinnati Medical Center. Players were emotional while fans stood stunned and confused.
“Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals,” The Bills tweeted in a statement. “His heartbeat was restored on the field and he was transferred to the UC Medical Center for further testing and treatment. He is currently sedated and listed in critical condition.”
Damar Hamlin’s agent, Jordon Rooney, said that the safety’s vitals had returned to normal levels.
“They have put him to sleep to put a breathing tube down his throat,” Rooney posted on Twitter. “They are currently running tests. We will provide updates as we have them.”
The Monday Night Football game was initially temporarily suspended for about an hour when the NFL finally decided to officially suspend the game for the night and attempt to postpone the game to another date. The score stands with the Bengals leading 7-3 with 5:58 left in the first quarter.
A controversial report by ESPN claimed that the two teams were given a five-minute warm-up period before attempting to resume the game, but the NFL denied they tried to restart it.
“Never crossed my mind to talk about warming up to resume play,” NFL executive vice president Troy Vincent, a former 15-year player, told reporters on a conference call. “That’s ridiculous, insensitive, and not a place we should ever be in.”
Damar Hamlin’s Current Status
Hamlin’s status has improved according to his uncle, Dorrian Glenn.
Glenn told NFL Network on Tuesday night that Hamlin remains in the ICU but has improved to 50% oxygen on a ventilator — the Bills safety was previously on 100 percent. He is still sedated, but Glenn seemed optimistic about Hamlin’s health.
“Once he gets out of ICU, I’ll feel better myself,” Glenn added.
In the wake of Damar Hamlin’s frightening incident, fans and professional players have donated more than $5 million to his charity toy drive that was created in 2020. The initial goal was only $2,500. Retailer Fanatics also said that all proceeds from Hamlin’s Bills jersey sales, which skyrocketed in the last 24 hours, will all go to the foundation.
Popthrill sends our prayers for Damar Hamlin and his family.
