Comedian Drew Lynch Breaks Down in Tears as Crowd Saves Man Who Went into Cardiac Arrest in the Middle of His Show: Watch

After a man went into cardiac arrest at one of Drew Lynch’s recent shows, the audience acted quickly to save him — and it left the comedian emotional.

A clip shared by Lynch, 34, on TikTok captured the intense moment at his show in Spokane, Wash., on Sept. 12. Pausing his set, Lynch asked, “Oh, hey. Everything okay?”

“No,” an audience member responded, and seconds later, someone shouted, “I’m calling 911 right now.”

The man in the audience, later identified by Lynch as Mr. Wende, had gone into cardiac arrest, according to the comedian’s TikTok post.

@thedrewlynch

At a show this past weekend in Spokane, something happened that I will never forget. In the middle of my set, a man in the audience collapsed from a heart attack. What happened next was one of the most powerful examples of community and human connection I’ve ever seen. Without hesitation, people in the audience began taking turns performing CPR, clearing space for paramedics, and monitoring his vitals. He had no pulse for over 5 minutes. With the combined efforts of total strangers, and honestly, by what felt like a miracle that night, he was revived right there in the room. The entire audience came together in that moment—no egos, no identities, no division—just one goal: saving a life. The next day my funny friends  Akeem , Rachel and I visited Mr. Wende in the hospital to finish the show for him. Getting to laugh and share stories with his family for hours in the hospital was the reminder I needed of why comedy is so needed- especially in times when the world feels so torn apart. HUGE thank you to the people of Spokane, the brave medical professionals, and the Wende family for bringing this man into my life and reminding me just how special community can be. #spokane

♬ original sound – Drew Lynch

Audience members immediately jumped into action, taking turns doing chest compressions and checking for a pulse, until one person announced that Wende was “waking up.”

Paramedics arrived a few minutes later and took Wende for medical care. “He had no pulse for over 5 minutes when, by a miracle of God and the efforts of people in that room that night, they were able to revive him,” Lynch wrote on TikTok. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

After paramedics took Wende away, a visibly shaken Lynch paused to thank the audience for their efforts, which earned a loud round of applause.

@thedrewlynch

Just wanted to give an update from the shows last night. #spokane

♬ original sound – Drew Lynch

“That was incredible, dude. Like, I know we’re here making jokes and talking about the town, but you guys really came together in a really cool way,” he told the crowd, his voice shaking. “You saved that guy’s life.”

In a TikTok update the next day, the America’s Got Talent alum said it “took what felt like forever to even realize what was going on, but people in the crowd had reacted almost immediately.”

While the man “was lying there,” Lynch recalled, “People in the room, without thinking about themselves, just worked together — men, women, taking turns doing compressions for CPR, monitoring vitals, calling paramedics, working on him for over 5 minutes.”

“I’m getting emotional because … I’m a comedian, but who cares?” he continued. “I felt as a human being that I got to experience a group of people coming together to save someone’s life.”

“It’s just a crazy world, man. And it’s been a hard week for a lot of people, and the fact that I got to witness a community of people working together, understanding the stakes, being good-natured,” Lynch added. “It was a beautiful thing to witness, because it restored hope in the middle of all the chaos of this world.”

Lynch and the other performers who shared the stage that night made sure Wende could see the rest of the show he missed.

Lynch shared photos of himself by Wende’s hospital bed, along with a message from Wende’s son, Nathan, on TikTok. He thanked the audience members who “brought my dad back, literally to life,” adding, “I don’t know all of your names but I hope you know how much you are appreciated.”

Nathan also thanked Lynch and the other comedians for visiting his dad, giving him “a memory that makes my heart happy.”

“I write this to say, in a world where we are so divided, these strangers came together to give us more time with our dad,” Nathan said. “He is doing better today. Lots of tests, but hopefully on the road to recovery. I can’t do anything for any of you but say…thanks. We don’t take this extra time for granted, and you make me proud to live in Spokane.”

Lynch echoed this sentiment, writing that “sitting and laughing” with Wende’s family “for hours in a hospital room was truly the reminder I needed for why comedy is so needed.”

“In a divided world filled with hurt and uncertainty, we overlook how fragile the time is that we even get to be here,” he added.