Buffalo Bills release statement on condition of Damar Hamlin, cause of medical emergency
In the early hours Tuesday morning, the Buffalo Bills released a statement regarding the condition of Damar Hamlin, who left Monday Night Football against the Cincinnati Bengals in an ambulance after suffering a medical emergency on the field that required CPR. The team also shared what caused the situation.
At 1:48 a.m. ET, the Bills confirmed Hamlin went into cardiac arrest with 5:58 remaining in the first quarter as he went to tackle Tee Higgins. He was taken to University of Cincinnati Medical Center — a Level I trauma center — and was still in critical condition at the time of the statement.
“Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest following a hit in our game versus the Bengals,” the team said. “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.”
Hamlin, 24, is in his second year with the Bills after they drafted him in the sixth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He emerged as a key piece of the defense as he started 14 games over the last two seasons.
More on Damar Hamlin’s injury
Hamlin exited Monday night’s game with injury via ambulance in a terrifying moment for players and fans. He appeared to be injured on a tackle he made in the first quarter that ended with him getting back up to his feet seemingly okay after the play.
Quickly afterward, Hamlin stumbled and collapsed on the field — leading to a lengthy break in the game as he was attended to by medical staff with players surrounding him.
The broadcast returned during the break several times during the horrific moment, and players appeared to be in distress from what was happening on the field. The broadcast provided a small update to the situation, indicating that medical staff was performing CPR on Hamlin.
After another extended break during the broadcast as medical staff continued to work on Hamlin, another small update indicated that he had been successfully placed on a backboard and stretcher, but had not yet been fully taken in the ambulance. As Hamlin was loaded into the ambulance, he was receiving oxygen as well from the medical staff.
The situation left such a terrible impact on the players involved in the game that the officials and coaches for both teams made the decision to temporarily suspend the game. Both teams went back into the locker rooms to gather their thoughts and emotions and make a decision on the future of the game.
The traumatic event resulted in one of the most scary sights that has taken place on a football field, and the status of Monday night’s game was just an afterthought to players and fans alike as they waited to see an update on the health of Hamlin — as players showed every emotion possible on the field while waiting for him to exit in the ambulance.