A West Virginia TV meteorologist says he will be off the air for several weeks after suffering a medical episode while delivering a forecast on Friday.
The incident happened during a broadcast of the WSAZ News on Friday, when forecaster Brandon Butcher appeared to have trouble speaking and breathing during his live report.
“I’m not having, uh, some good health right now,” Butcher said after stepping away from the station’s green screen. He continued his weather forecast for around a minute before tossing back to the news desk.
Over the weekend, Butcher posted a note on social media in which he thanked WSAZ (Channel 3, NBC) viewers for their thoughts, concerns and well-wishes.
In the note, Butcher affirmed he suffered from a “health scare” during his forecast, but there was “no permanent damage” to his body. But medical tests “revealed some things I had not known about that will require significant surgery,” which was scheduled to happen on Tuesday.
Butcher said the post-surgery rehabilitation will require him to step away from his forecast duties for several weeks.
“It’s better to do something now than wait longer,” Butcher wrote. “I am a little fearful though, and appreciate any prayers and well-wishes. I’ll try to update when I can.”
WSAZ airs a two-hour morning news program on its sister-station, WQCW (Channel 30). The stations broadcast to the Charleston-Huntington market and are owned by Gray Television.
