Fraser Olender, a 33-year-old cast member of Bravo’s “Below Deck,” said he was rushed to a London hospital in recent weeks with crushing chest pain and trouble breathing and was later told he suffered a heart attack linked to vaping. In an Instagram post Friday, he said doctors diagnosed a vaping-associated lung injury and a coronary artery vasospasm that cut blood flow to his heart.
Olender’s account drew wide attention because it connects a popular reality TV figure to a serious medical emergency tied to e-cigarette use. He said specialists identified E-cigarette or Vaping-Associated Lung Injury, or EVALI, and concluded a spasm in a coronary artery triggered a ST-elevation myocardial infarction, commonly called a STEMI. The “Below Deck” personality wrote that he has since stopped vaping and is recovering. His update adds a high-profile voice to ongoing scrutiny of vaping risks as clinicians continue to document cases involving severe chest pain, shortness of breath and complications that can require hospital care.
Olender described the episode as sudden and overwhelming. He said severe pain and breathing problems sent him to the emergency department, where he was admitted for testing and monitoring. “I have never experienced fear or pain like it,” Olender wrote, adding that initial pain relief did little to help before doctors escalated treatment. He said he spent about a week under observation while teams worked to determine what caused his symptoms and reviewed scans and lab results. The update included photos from a hospital bed and messages thanking staff and friends for support during the stay.
According to Olender, specialists told him substances from his vape triggered a coronary artery vasospasm — a sudden clamp of the blood vessel — restricting oxygen to heart muscle long enough to produce a STEMI. He also said clinicians documented a lung injury consistent with EVALI, a diagnosis first recognized by health agencies in 2019. Olender wrote that he was treated for intense chest pain and monitored for breathing issues while doctors ruled out a cholesterol blockage. He said he left the hospital with follow-up appointments and instructions common after a heart event, including checks on rhythm, inflammation and lung function. The exact brand or contents of the vape were not disclosed.
Olender is a familiar face to viewers as the franchise’s first male chief steward, often seen managing interior service aboard charter yachts. He joined the series as a steward and later stepped into the top interior role. In his post, he credited his partner, Matt Rogers, for staying with him and offering support through the ordeal. The pair appeared in images taken at the hospital. Fans responded with thousands of messages as the update spread across entertainment outlets on Friday, with many offering well-wishes and sharing their own experiences with chest pain and recovery.
The announcement comes as physicians continue to study how vaping-related injuries can affect the lungs and, in some cases, the heart. Health records in recent years have documented EVALI patients with chest pain, low oxygen levels and imaging that suggests inflammation in the airways and lungs. While heart attacks most often involve a blockage, doctors also treat events triggered by spasms that interrupt blood flow, especially when another condition limits oxygen. Olender’s account places him in the latter group, describing a spasm-induced STEMI where heart muscle is starved of oxygen without a classic obstruction. The precise timeline of his first symptoms and hospital discharge was not provided beyond “a few weeks ago.”
Olender said he has quit vaping since the scare and is back to traveling while continuing follow-up care. He did not name the hospital that treated him or the specialists involved. Entertainment outlets that picked up his post noted that he thanked medical staff for acting quickly and described the pain as “inexplicable.” The Bravo series, filmed aboard charter yachts in various locations, has paused production at times for unrelated reasons in past seasons, but there has been no indication that filming schedules were directly affected by his hospitalization. Representatives for the network did not immediately release statements in response to Friday’s reports.
Procedurally, Olender’s disclosure is a personal health update, not a formal medical bulletin, and further details typically remain private under hospital rules. If additional information is shared, it would likely come through his own channels or future interviews. For now, his account underscores the ongoing interest in how clinicians classify and treat EVALI cases and whether certain products or ingredients pose heightened risk. Entertainment coverage on Friday focused on his age, the sudden onset of symptoms and his note that he had not returned to vaping since leaving the hospital.
Friends and colleagues from the show posted supportive comments online. Some fans referenced past episodes that highlighted Olender’s high-pressure role onboard and said they hoped he would prioritize rest. Others shared stories about relatives who had experienced vasospasms or non-obstructive heart attacks. In messages thanking supporters, Olender said he was grateful and relieved to be home. “I could have died,” he wrote, calling the experience terrifying and life-changing.
As of Saturday, Olender said he is focusing on recovery and follow-up checkups after the London hospitalization. He did not provide a date for his next on-camera appearance. Further updates may come as he returns to routine travel and work commitments in the weeks ahead.