Reporter suffers panic attack on air, social media lauds him for handling the situation
When viewers in Queensland tuned in for their daily weather update, the reporter interrupted abruptly and talked about having a panic attack.
Nate Byrne, an Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reporter, had a sudden panic attack during a live broadcast. On Tuesday morning, when viewers in Queensland tuned in for their daily weather update, Byrne interrupted abruptly and talked about his condition.
While addressing the broadcast, he said, "I'm actually going to need to stop for a second. Some of you may know that I occasionally get affected by some panic attacks, and actually that's happening right now. Lisa, maybe I could hand back to you."
Lisa Millar, co-host of ABC News Breakfast, took over after Byrne had to stop. She also addressed the issue and raised awareness on mental health. She cited an article Byrne wrote in 2022 on his experiences with on-air panic attacks. (Also Read: Doordarshan anchor faints during live news reading: 'I could no longer see, blacked out')
Watch the video here:
This post was shared on August 13. Since being posted, it has gained more than 14,000 views. The share also has numerous likes and comments. Many people took to the comments section of the post. Several people lauded Byrne's way of handling and acknowledging the situation. (Also Read: Anchor appears to swallow fly on live TV, keeps reporting like nothing happened. Watch)
Here's how people reacted to it:
An individual wrote, "I've seen a "macho" having a panic attack once, it looked pathetic while trying to downplay it. Byrne is handling it manlier, cause he is not in denial."
Another X user, Chris McLeod, said, "Really empathised with this man dealing with a very public panic attack. This is how my agoraphobia manifests so I greatly feel for him and felt compelled to share. Well done Nate Byrne."
"What a little understanding and caring looks like when someone suffers a mental health episode. No gaslighting or blame just understanding and love for a colleague - Panic attack pause for Nate Byrne," shared X user Glenn Hampson.