Actor Godfrey Gao had been filming for 17 straight hours before he died of a heart attack: 'I can't keep going'
Late Godfrey Gao, had reportedly been filming for around 17 straight hours when he suffered a heart attack and died on the set of an ultra-endurance game show.
Gao who was the first Asian model to become the face of Louis Vuitton passed away while he was filming the TV show ' Chase Me' in Ningbo, China. Gao was only 35 years old at the time of his death. As reported by Sina, Gao was down with a cold but filmed 'continuously' for around 17 hours from 8.30 am on Tuesday to 1.45 am. He then collapsed on set.
His friends have also claimed that he had attended an event on Monday and then traveled straight to filming without taking any rest. On the show 'Chase Me', contestants have to get through a series of very physically demanding tasks and obstacle courses in an urban race style setting. The show airs on the Chinese network Zhejiang Television.
According to Chinese news station Tencent News, an audience member also heard Gao shout 'I can't keep going' as he slowed down in the race before collapsing. The cameramen had initially zoomed in on Gao and thought that his fall was a dramatic moment in the show before realizing that something was very wrong.
As per a statement from the TV network, Gao was rushed to the hospital where it was confirmed that he had died of cardiac arrest. The statement read, "Guest participant Godfrey suddenly collapsed to the ground while running. The program's on-site paramedics began lifesaving measures immediately and urgently transported him to the hospital".
"After two hours of all-out efforts to save him, the hospital [said] he had suffered sudden cardiac death,' the statement continued. Gao was best known for his role in the 2013 fantasy drama called 'The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones'.