Turmoil for NRL’s season opener in Las Vegas as footy great Chad Townsend is rushed off plane by doctors in ‘scary’ incident – as bizarre coincidence happens in midair
Former NRL star Chad Townsend has been taken off a plane by paramedics after losing consciousness in what he called a ‘scary’ episode on a flight to Las Vegas.
The Cronulla Sharks premiership winner fainted after suffering hot and cold flushes on the plane. He was treated by a doctor and the wife of fellow footy great Kurt Gidley.
Townsend has recovered from the incident, which was not related to alcohol.
The 35-year-old had posted photos to Instagram of his departure from Sydney and another shot showing him smiling after arriving at Vegas airport early on Thursday morning, Australian time.
Once Townsend had landed, he told his followers what happened in mid-air.
‘On the plane today I started to feel light headed and nauseous, I then started to get hot and cold flushes followed by constant sweating,’ he wrote on Instagram.
Townsend posted this photo just before he boarded his flight to Las Vegas in Sydney on Wednesday
The former Sharks, Cowboys and Roosters star looked fully recovered from what he called a ‘scary’ episode in this photo taken after he landed in Las Vegas
Newcastle Knights great Kurt Gidley is pictured with his wife Brooke, who is a nurse and helped treat Townsend in midair
‘I got up to go to the toilet and then fainted.
‘I was attended to by an amazing Dr by the name of Jimmy, a Michigan native and nurse Brooke Gidley (Kurt’s wife)
‘I am so grateful for the care and support they showed me.
‘The whole ordeal was a little scary but I just wanted to let everyone to know that I am feeling fine now and looking forward to Round 1 here in Vegas!’
Townsend – who retired after playing six games for the Roosters last year – headed to Sin City to record content for his podcast, which is sponsored by BearBet.
The veteran of 268 NRL games posted an Instagram story after the drama in Vegas, praising the Perth Bears team for signing Penrith forward Scott Sorensen.
Townsend was the Sharks halfback when they won the 2016 grand final, and he earned representative honours with the NSW City side that year, as well as being selected for the Prime Minister’s XIII in 2018.
Last year he revealed he had a brush with the law when he played his last match for the Roosters’ NSW Cup side in September.
Townsend (pictured with wife Marissa) lost consciousness while flying to Sin City for the Cowboys vs Knights and Bulldogs vs Dragons double-header
The ex-halfback (pictured with former prime minister Scott Morrison) won the 2016 grand final with Cronulla
The 35-year-old travelled to Vegas to record content for his podcast. He retired last year after playing six first-grade games with the Roosters (pictured)
Traffic snarls meant he and some of his teammates couldn’t get to the ground on time in a car, so they rented Lime bikes and made a dash to the match.
‘Then a police officer sees me, and I didn’t have a helmet on because the Lime bike didn’t have a helmet,’ Townsend explained.
‘So he’s like, ‘mate, you can’t ride that bike without a helmet’.
‘So I hopped off the bike – in full Roosters gear – just hoping no one takes a photo.
‘We got through the people and jump back on the bikes, riding back streets, until we rocked up at the game.’
Despite the chaotic preparation, Townsend finished his footy career a winner, converting a late try as the Roosters outclassed the Magpies 50-18.
