A cameraman collapsed during a live broadcast of “CBS Evening News” in Taiwan, reportedly after being sent from Tokyo just before anchor Tony Dokoupil was set to cover the summit between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, sources revealed.
Dokoupil described it as a “medical emergency” during Wednesday’s show, identifying the cameraman as Randy Schmidt, who fainted while filming for Trump’s visit to Beijing. Officials stated that he was able to recover afterward.
While CBS didn’t officially name Schmidt, they mentioned in a social media post that he was “okay and recovering.” Earlier, he had been assisting with last-minute arrangements for the broadcast when he collapsed.
There were claims that Schmidt had been working non-stop, but a CBS official countered that he had taken some time off prior to his on-air duties.
A source close to CBS shared that Schmidt found out at 7 a.m. Wednesday in Tokyo that he was to head to Taiwan, as the network couldn’t secure a visa for Dokoupil to enter mainland China amid the high-stakes summit.
He took a flight that left Tokyo around 2 p.m., arriving in Taiwan just after 5 p.m. local time, and checked into his hotel around 7 p.m.
Notably, Tokyo is only one hour ahead of Taipei, and Taiwan is 12 hours ahead of New York City, with Dokoupil’s segment airing at 6:30 p.m ET.
The unsettling incident occurred towards the end of the broadcast. As Dokoupil wrapped up his discussion about China-Taiwan tensions, a sudden noise was heard off camera.
“You hear a lot about the rise of a powerful new China, but will he be okay?” he remarked, baffled as his crew fell silent.
“We’re going to take a short break. We have a medical emergency here,” he announced, adding that he would call for a doctor.
The broadcast then transitioned to CBS News chief correspondent Matt Gutman, who had returned to New York.
According to CBS insiders, local producers and staff were continuously with Schmidt from the start, and he maintained communication with CBS operations in London throughout the setup process.
It was noted that Schmidt typically brought his own broadcasting gear, which is common for freelancers. He was also compensated extra since the network used his equipment for this assignment.
Freelancers usually carry around eight to ten cases of equipment, but Schmidt traveled with three cases and two carry-on bags for his time in Taiwan, as per sources.
A driver hired by CBS assisted in transporting some gear from the airport. CBS News and Schmidt have been approached for further comments.
