Scary scene unfolds in Baltimore Ravens game as chain gang official collapses

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Liam McCormick
September 15, 2024 (1:21 PM)

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A frightening scene unfolded in Baltimore this afternoon when a sideline official collapsed to the ground.

A chainer was working the first down field marker along the side of the field when he collapsed. The game was delayed about ten minutes while medical staff quickly stepped in to administer CPR. As the chainer was being carried off, he was alert seen waving his hand, according to a new report from the Athletic.

Out of respect for the officials and their privacy, we will not show the video of the scene unfolding on the field. The Baltimore Ravens have now shared the following update.

The medical team's rapid response in this critical situation deserves the highest praise. It's likely that their immediate presence was the reason the chainer was leaving the field awake and alert.

»A sideline official collapsed, received CPR and was later taken off the field on a stretcher on the Baltimore Ravens sideline in the second quarter of Sunday's game with the Las Vegas Raiders. The official, who was working the first-down chain marker, was seen waving his hand and moving his mouth as he was stretchered off.»
- The Athletic

The players from both teams were clearly shaken up by the incident just during the game, and took a moment to kneel to recognize the gravity of the moment before resuming.

It's always a scary moment that's much larger than sports when anyone involved in the game has a serious medical event. Hopefully the chainer is able to recover, the entire sports world is behind him.