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Man Revived at Drew Lynch Show Is Recovering as Viral Video Fuels CPR Training Calls

The survivor credits quick bystander CPR plus an AED for his revival, urging others to get certified.

Overview

  • During a Sept. 12 set in Spokane, Washington, an audience member collapsed from cardiac arrest at the Spokane Comedy Club.
  • Bystanders immediately performed CPR while first responders arrived with an automated external defibrillator, and the man regained signs of life after more than five minutes without a pulse.
  • Comedian Drew Lynch stopped the show, thanked the crowd for their response, and later shared on social media that the man was identified as Dick Wende.
  • Lynch and fellow performers Akeem Hoyte-Charles and Rachel Aflleje visited Wende in the hospital to finish the set, and Wende has since been moved to a rehabilitation facility.
  • Videos of the incident have been viewed tens of millions of times online, and both Wende and Lynch are urging the public to pursue CPR training.