It was a harrowing moment of live television Saturday when a CBS Los Angeles meteorologist fainted and collapsed during a morning newscast.
"KCAL News Meteorologist Alissa Carlson was about to start her weather forecast this morning when she fainted," CBS Los Angeles, KCAL's local sister station, said in an update Saturday. "Our team jumped in to help and comfort her while waiting for medical help to arrive."
In video of the Saturday morning newscast, co-anchors Rachel Kim and Nichelle Medina toss to Carlson for an update on the weather.
“Who is ready for some sunshine? I know I am. Let’s start off with a check of your next weather with meteorologist Alyssa Carlson. She joins us live in the studio,” Medina says.
As Medina continues to talk, viewers see Carlson’s eyes roll into the back of her head before she slumps over and collapses.
Kim let’s out a concerned “Oh” before Medina says they’re going to go to a break.
KCAL tweeted that Carlson "is now resting and recovering."
Carlson thanked people on Facebook for "all the texts, calls, and well wishes."
"I am going to be ok!" she wrote.
The station and Carlson didn't disclose any details about why she fainted. KCAL said she will be back to work "as soon as she’s well enough to return."
It isn't the first time Carlson has fallen ill on the air.
Carlson, who previously worked for NBC affiliate KGET of Bakersfield, California, threw up during a newscast in 2014, she said.
Carlson thought she was having flu symptoms, but a doctor told her she had a leaky heart valve.
"So I went to the doctor, and they said to me, 'Have you ever thought about having a heart condition?' And I said: 'Are you kidding me? No, I'm way too young for that, and I'm very healthy.'"
Carlson said stem cells from her pregnancy with her daughter had started to repair her leaky heart valve.
"The stem cells from my baby had started to heal my heart," Carlson said tearfully. "I feel like I owe it to people and everybody and to God to give back and to spread the story and to help people realize that you may have something you don't even know what you have."
It’s unclear whether Carlson still suffers from the leaky heart valve or whether it was connected to her collapse Saturday.
