Section 2B: Sudden Illness/Medical Emergency

Two U.S. Presidents have died suddenly during medical crises while in office: Warren G. Harding in 1923, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1945. Both men died of cerebral hemorrhages.

On July 4, 1850, President Zachary Taylor attended a ceremony to lay the cornerstone of the Washington Monument. During that hot afternoon, he consumed large quantities of iced milk, cold cherries, and pickled cucumbers. He died five days later, the result of gastroenteritis. Some medical experts believed that he fell victim to typhus or cholera, while others speculated that he was the victim of arsenic poisoning. In 1991, Taylor's body was exhumed and tested with modern medical methods. The result: No evidence of arsenic poisoning. Taylor was diagnosed with "cholera morbus," a term that included diarrhea and dysentery, which was commonly spread at the time by unsanitary conditions.

Regardless of Taylor's malady, sudden illness can strike down a president or king as easily as it can a homeless beggar. In many cases, whether or not the protectee survives will depend on the bodyguard's knowledge and skill as a first responder to keep him or her alive until they can reach medical assistance. The following incidents are a small sampling of the medical emergencies handled by protective personnel on a daily basis.

992. Date: May 4, 1981
Victim: President George H. W. Bush
Location: Camp David, Maryland
Details: While jogging at Camp David, Bush developed shortness of breath, chest tightness, and a general feeling of fatigue. A White House physician discovered Bush had a rapid irregular heartbeat, ultimately diagnosed as atrial fibrillation due to hyperthyroidism. Bush was transferred to Bethesda Naval Hospital by helicopter. After treatment with drugs, his heart rhythm returned to normal. The following morning, however, atrial fibrillation recurred. Bush returned to the White House later that day.

993. Date: August 14, 1991
Victim: Governor Richard Snelling
Location: Montpelier, Vermont
Details: Snelling had a fatal heart attack while cleaning his swimming pool. His bodyguard arrived later to pick Snelling up at his residence and found him dead.

994. Date: January 8, 1992
Victim: President George H.W. Bush
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Details: Bush collapsed during a state dinner and vomited on himself. Secret Service agents surrounded him, covered his soiled clothing, and removed him to his limousine. His physician attended to him.

995. Date: September 14, 1993
Victim: French President Francois Mitterand
Location: Seoul, South Korea
Details: Mitterand became sick at an official ceremony and suddenly sat down. Bodyguards rushed him to a bathroom where he vomited.

996. Date: October 13, 1993
Victim: Prime Minister Erskine Sandiford
Location: Barbados
Details: Sandiford went jogging and later collapsed at a business meeting from an apparent heart attack. He was rushed to the hospital and survived.

997. Date: October 14, 1993
Victim: President Carlos Menem
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Details: Menem complained of dizziness and was found to have a blocked carotid artery. He underwent immediate surgery.

998. Date: October 21, 1993
Victim: Empress Michiko
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Details: Michiko collapsed on her 59th birthday of an apparent stroke. A neurologist treated her.

999. Date: March 22, 1994
Victim: Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher
Location: Chile
Details: Thatcher passed out while delivering a speech to 500 businessmen. Bodyguards caught her as she slumped over.

1000. Date: July 8, 1994
Victim: Governor Jim Edgar
Location: Downers Grove, Illinois
Details: Edgar had to undergo emergency quadruple bypass surgery on his heart. In October 1992, he underwent an angioplasty to clear blocked arteries.

1001. Date: December 5, 1994
Victim: Washington Senator Slade Gorton
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Details: Gorton suffered a mild heart attack while jogging and was rushed to the hospital.

1002. Date: December 28, 1994
Victim: Lieutenant Governor Connie Binsfield
Location: Lansing, Michigan
Details: Binsfield fainted from low blood sugar and was flown by helicopter to a hospital for treatment.

1003. Date: January 10, 1995
Victim: Lieutenant Governor Connie Binsfield
Location: Lansing, Michigan
Details: Governor Engler took Binsfield to the hospital after she complained of illness. She underwent quadruple bypass surgery.

1004. Date: June 6, 1995
Victim: Evangelist Billy Graham
Location: Toronto, Canada
Details: Suffering from Parkinson's and the flu, Graham collapsed during a speech to 250,000 people. He was rushed to the hospital.

1005. Date: July 5, 1995
Victim: Governor Lawton Chiles
Location: Tallahassee, Florida
Details: Chiles suffered an apparent stroke while on a fishing trip and was rushed to the hospital. He was released on July 7.

1006. Date: July 11, 1995
Victim: President Boris Yeltsin
Location: Moscow, Russia
Details: Yeltsin was rushed to the hospital in the early morning hours with an apparent heart attack. He had been plagued with numerous reports of drinking and health problems.

1007. Date: December 19, 1995
Victim: Governor General Nita Barrow
Location: Georgetown, Barbados
Details: Barrow collapsed and died at a Christmas party.

1008. Date: February 9, 1996
Victim: Governor John Kitzhaber
Location: Portland, Oregon
Details: Kitzhaber was rushed to the hospital suffering from chest pains. He was admitted to intensive care with a possible heart attack.

1009. Date: April 14, 1996
Victim: Lieutenant Governor Barbara Snelling
Location: Montpelier, Vermont
Details: Snelling suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and passed out. She regained consciousness a day later, but was listed in very serious condition. A four-hour operation was done to prevent further bleeding.

1010. Date: May 16, 1996
Victim: PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat
Location: Amman, Jordan
Details: Arafat's doctor denied reports that Arafat had suffered a mild stroke. He said Arafat was only suffering from exhaustion and the flu.

1011. Date: May 18, 1996
Victim: Governor William Weld
Location: Waltham, Massachusetts
Details: During a commencement at Bentley College, Weld collapsed while receiving an honorary doctorate. He was taken on a stretcher to an ambulance and then to Massachusetts Deaconess-Waltham Hospital for 24 hours of observation. Doctors could find nothing wrong.

1012. Date: September 2, 1997
Victim: Governor Benjamin Cayetano
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Details: Doctors said a bleeding ulcer caused Cayetano to collapse at Washington Place, the Governor's Mansion. He was rushed to the hospital where he recovered.

1013. Date: November 26, 1997
Victim: Attorney General Janet Reno
Location: Mexico City, Mexico
Details: While attending a conference, Reno became sick and fainted. An FBI bodyguard caught her and lowered her to the floor. She was hospitalized overnight for fatigue and gallstones, and then released.

1014. Date: December 12, 1998
Victim: Governor Lawton Chiles
Location: Tallahassee, Florida
Details: Chiles suffered a heart attack during a daily workout in the Mansion gymnasium and died. His body was found by one of his bodyguards. He was attended by emergency crews from Tallahassee and Leon County, but could not be revived. He was pronounced dead where his body was found, shortly after 4:00 p.m., next to his exercise cycling machine.

1015. Date: September 28, 1998
Victim: Attorney General Janet Reno
Location: Clinton, Maryland
Details: Reno fainted while attending a church service and was taken to the hospital. She suffers from Parkinson's disease.

1016. Date: December 17, 1999
Victim: Presidential Candidate (Senator) Bill Bradley
Location: San Francisco, California
Details: Bradley canceled several campaign appearances in California after experiencing an irregular heartbeat. He went to a hospital expecting to receive a mild electric shock to the heart, a common treatment for the condition called atrial fibrillation. But by the time he arrived, his heart was normal again.

1017. Date: February 24, 2000
Victim: Former President George H.W. Bush
Location: Naples, Florida
Details: Following a photo opportunity, Bush complained of being lightheaded. The Secret Service checked him into a hospital, where he spent three nights. He suffers from an irregular heartbeat.

1018. Date: April 1, 2000
Victim: Mayor Richard Daley
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Details: Daley was rushed by ambulance from his home to the hospital after suffering chest pains. He was hospitalized for tests and later released.

1019. Date: April 2, 2000
Victim: Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Details: Obuchi complained of fatigue and was taken to the hospital. He suffered a stroke and lapsed into a coma. At least three Japanese prime ministers have died while in office.

1020. Date: October 1, 2000
Victim: Prime Minister Roosevelt Douglas
Location: Portsmouth, Dominica
Details: Douglas was found dead at his home. He had just returned from a long trip. No official cause of death was given. A family member said he might have died from a heart attack.

1021. Date: March 5, 2001
Victim: Vice President Dick Cheney
Location: Washington, D.C.
Details: Cheney checked himself into George Washington University Hospital after feeling chest pains over a three-day period. Doctors performed an angioplasty procedure. In 1988 he had quadruple bypass to clear clogged arteries. After suffering a slight heart attack in November 2000, he had a stint placed in an artery that was 90 percent blocked. As of March 2001, he has suffered four heart attacks.

1022. Date: June 23, 2001
Victim: President Fidel Castro
Location: Havana, Cuba
Details: Castro, wearing his traditional long-sleeved uniform, was delivering a speech to tens of thousands under a hot sun. His body suddenly began to slump to the right. The live cameras pulled away and focused on the crowd. Castro then appeared to faint and was helped off stage. Ten minutes later he returned and told the crowd not to worry, he was merely tired and needed rest.

1023. Date: January 12, 2002
Victim: President George W. Bush
Location: Washington, D.C.
Details: Bush was watching a football game on TV and eating pretzels. He reportedly choked on a pretzel and lost consciousness for a few seconds. White House medical personnel treated him.

1024. Date: January 30, 2002
Victim: Former Attorney General Janet Reno
Location: Rochester, New York
Details: Reno was addressing a large crowd at the University of Rochester. She suddenly told the audience, "If you will excuse me, I'm going to have to sit down." She then fell hard to the floor behind the podium, appearing to hit her head on the way down. Audience members came to her aid and she was taken to a hospital. She had been on a busy campaign tour, running for governor of Florida. She was diagnosed in 1995 with Parkinson's disease.

1025. Date: March 26, 2003
Victim: Governor Tauese P. F. Sunia of American Samoa
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Details: Sunia passed away while onboard a flight to Hawaii for medical treatment.

1026. Date: April 21, 2003
Victim: President Geidar Aliev
Location: Baku, Azerbaijan
Details: During a ceremony before 2,000 people marking the 30th anniversary of a military academy, Aliev suddenly clutched his chest and complained of pain. "Something has struck me," he said before the broadcast was cut. A witness in the hall said Aliev stumbled, but aides caught him before he fell. They called for a doctor and took him off-stage, instructing the crowd to remain in their seats. Aliev then returned to the rostrum 15 minutes later, appearing pale, and resumed his speech. He then collapsed again, hitting his head on the floor with a loud thud. The broadcast was cut again and journalists were ushered out of the hall. He returned a few minutes later to the rostrum, wished the crowd success, and ducked behind the curtains. He'd had a heart attack in 1987, underwent heart surgery in 1999, and had a hernia operation only a month before his speech.

1027. Date: September 3, 2004
Victim: Former President Bill Clinton
Location: New York, New York
Details: Clinton was hospitalized with chest pains and shortness of breath. An angiogram showed he had significant blockage in his arteries, but had not suffered a heart attack. He underwent quadruple bypass surgery and recovered within a few weeks.

1028. Date: October 19, 2004
Victim: Prime Minister Tony Blair
Location: London, England
Details: Blair was spending the weekend at Chequers, his official country residence, when he felt ill and was first taken to a local hospital, then to London's Hammersmith Hospital. There it was established he had an irregular heartbeat and a cardioversion was administered to regulate it. Cardioversion is the use of an electrical stimulus to restore a normal rhythm. Blair was sedated for 20 minutes during the procedure. He returned to work after a few days rest.

1029. Date: April 29, 2004
Victim: Attorney General John Ashcroft
Location: Washington, D.C.
Details: Ashcroft canceled an appearance, because he was feeling ill. His conditioned worsened. On the advice of a White House physician, he was taken to George Washington University Hospital for evaluation. He was diagnosed with a severe case of gallstone pancreatitis and was hospitalized in intensive care.

1030. Date: November 13, 2004
Victim: Vice President Dick Cheney
Location: Washington, D.C.
Details: Cheney was taken to George Washington University Hospital after complaining of shortness of breath. He underwent several tests and went home after three hours. It was blamed on a bad cold.

1031. Date: January 31, 2005
Victim: Senator Hillary Clinton
Location: Buffalo, New York
Details: Clinton collapsed during a speech, moments after complaining of a stomach virus. A doctor in the crowd treated her and she left the event without further assistance.

1032. Date: December 6, 2005
Victim: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
Location: Sacramento, California
Details: Schwarzenegger was reportedly taken to the hospital with a rapid heartbeat after coming down with the stomach flu. He was released from the UC Davis Medical Center after several hours when doctors determined his heart was functioning normally. Schwarzenegger had heart surgery in 1997 to repair a congenital valve problem. An occasional rapid heartbeat is common after that type of operation. The governor resumed a normal schedule, appearing in good health as he met with top advisors in his office.

1033. Date: October 6, 2006
Victim: Fashion Designer Yves Saint Laurent
Location: Paris, France
Details: Laurent collapsed in the road outside his boutique next to his Mercedes. He had just hosted a fashion show. Aides rushed to assist him, and medics quickly arrived and rushed him to the hospital.