Taiwanese actor, Godfrey Gao (高以翔), has passed away on November 27 at the age of 35 while he was filming for the Zhejiang TV variety show, “Chase Me” (追我吧). It’s reported he fainted while filming for the show and his heart stopped beating. After staff members performed CPR on him for 3 minutes, there was still no heartbeat. People present on set revealed they kept hearing, “Still no heartbeat?” After 15 minutes later, it’s reported his heart was beating again and was immediately sent to the hospital. However, it was confirmed by Zhejiang News that they weren’t able to revive him at the hospital.
Entertainment Industry Mourns Godfrey Gao’s Passing
Qin Lan Shares Her Impression of Upcoming Co-Star, Godfrey Gao
One netizen’s account says the show was still filming around 1 AM and Godfrey Gao was really tired from running. He was heard constantly saying, “I can’t anymore!” and then suddenly fainted. It’s alleged the crew thought this was an effect from the show so they didn’t immediately go tend to him. When they realized something wasn’t right, everyone, including the artists, rushed to his side. The doctors performed 10 minutes of CPR, but he was only sent to the hospital around 2 something.
“Chase Me” production team issues statement
The “Chase Me” production team released the following statement on Godfrey Gao’s passing:
“During the 9th week of filming for “Chase Me” on November 27th, the guest for this week, Godfrey Gao, suddenly slowed down while he was running and then fell to the ground. The show’s on site medical staff started to treat him right away and immediately sent him to the hospital. After two hours of using their best efforts to save him, the doctors finally announced Godfrey Gao died from sudden cardiac death. We feel incomparable pain and extreme sadness!
After the accident happened, the production team and managers all stayed by his side the whole time. The production team is currently working with the management teams to contact his family members to properly handle the aftermath arrangements.”
One of Godfrey Gao’s manager spoke to ETtoday and said: “Before the recording, there weren’t any signs of physical discomfort. Everyone didn’t see this coming and can’t accept it either. During the show recording, his heart suddenly had problems. He’s always had a habit of exercising. Never heard him speak of having heart conditions or diseases. Everyone is feeling very regretful.”
According to Taiwanese media, it’s reported Godfrey Gao’s girlfriend, Bella Su, and the owners of his management company are flying to Zhejiang to transport his body back to Taiwan the next day. His mother is a Malaysian national and didn’t have a visa so she couldn’t fly to China immediately.
This is a sad tragic incident which could have been avoided or rather shouldn’t happen if only pple in general and in particular event/reality show organisers are well-informed (knowledgeable) of how the human body works espc it’s limitations. If recall correctly several yrs back read a science-based research news report (in Reader’s Digest) of how physicians/docs were baffled by sudden-death of healthy exercise conscious young males in the US. Most such reported incidents involved young males in their early 30s. They just collapsed their heart stopped while/after in gym doing regimented routine exercises. The gym-excercise 6-pack buff type. Very health conscious – healthy living culture etc. It was concluded such peculiar sudden-death cases were due to over-exercising, over-stretching the physique beyond the heart’s ability to cope – the adrenalin-push too much for the body to take. I’m no expert on such physiology branch of biological sciences deaing with the functioning of organis/organisms, admittedly. However, when read one news report one of the tv event component before Godfrey’s collapse allegedly started past midnightat 2 a.m. I realised smthg. Recalling of another published health report warning we should avoid any strenuous physical exercises or games activity at late night. Simply bc our internal body organs by late afternoon to sundown automatically in a natural getting-ready to gear-down to rest/to sleep mode. Our brain instructs production of sleep chemical serotonin to induce sleep affecting the biological internal clock the ‘Circadian Rhythm’ regulating our sleep-wake system. So most major organs start to slow-down/wind down preparing sleep mode also allowing for intercellular ‘repair&replacement’ growth processes. Simple, basic quite common-sense biology-base fact. Thus the body demands complete rest for the necessary sleep-mode work/processes needed to commence. Really, it’s the wonder miracle how our human body internally unconscious to us work and function suring sleep-mode. The report emphasised not to indulge in late evening/night exercises/strenuous body activities recommending doing such in daytime espc a.m. It makes sense. Don’t know precisely what entails in the Zhejiang TV Variety Show but the prog title ‘Chase Me’ is rather telling – perhaps an adrenaling-burst competitive game event which part of it allegedly started at 2.00 a.m.??? Most pple except the night/graveyd shift workers are already in zzzland – body in compete rest mode either deep beta/tetha or REM-sleep mode! Wonder whether any autopsy report to the cause of death or rather the heart-sudden stoppage ie cardiac arrest. As an early a.m. person my 1 hr daily routine exercises (series of Tabata etc) are always during fresh morning air daytime. Such is recommended for all human species unless one is the nocturnal kind! Godfrey’s youth and starbright acting career gone, condolences to his family and may his soul R.I.P. Amen.
This is why everyone is so upset. Godfrey’s manager said he was fine before they recorded the show. He has always been a very active person. The show or TV station need to take responsibility for the way they handled this situation. How can they still continue filming when he said he couldn’t take it any longer and then collapsed?!
It’s reported Godfrey’s parents were so gracious to console the staff members and told them not to blame themselves as they wouldn’t have wanted this to happen either. Everyone that has worked with Godfrey have said similar things about him, that he’s so humble, kind, shy, well mannered, professional etc. I think a lot of it is attributed to how well his parents raised him.
It’s still a shock for many and a lot of his fans can’t accept what happened. They didn’t air the show this week, but they better pull it off the air altogether.
This is so heartbreaking!!! T_T I don’t even know what to say….