WATCH: Local News Anchor Accidentally Declares a Man Dead From Coronavirus — Then Resurrects Him
New York ABC7 anchor Bill Ritter had to do some on-air course correction this week after erroneously reporting that a man had tragically died from the coronavirus — when he’s actually making a remarkable recovery.
ABC7 profiled the life of 26-year old Jack Allard over the last five weeks after he was placed in a medically-induced coma following his Covid-19 diagnosis. As Ritter provided an update on Monday, he said that New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy announced Allard’s death in his press conference that day.
There was just a slight problem: when Ritter rolled the footage from Murphy’s presser, the governor announced that in fact, Allard “rebounded” from the virus and was “clapped out by the doctors and nurses who saved his life as he walked out of the hospital.”
“I feel horrible. Jack is very much alive,” Ritter said, acknowledging the mistake. “He has come home not in the figurative sense, but in the quite literal sense. My deepest apologies for that. I just misread everything and I apologize, but he is alive and we are grateful for that.”
Here’s a tweet from Murphy celebrating Allard’s survival.
Five weeks ago, former @RHSBOYSLACROSSE standout and @BatesCollege All-American Jack Allard was confirmed positive for #COVID19. He was put on a ventilator. Last Thursday, he walked out of the hospital. For Jack and the hundreds more who have recovered, we’re optimistic. pic.twitter.com/Lj5JFlZ5Yk
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) April 20, 2020
Watch above, via ABC7
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