A Santa Barbara City Councilman is recovering from a heart attack.
A statement sent by a friend of Eric Friedman on behalf of his family states the 47-year-old suffered a heart attack while paddling off the Santa Barbara coast on Saturday.
The District 5 councilman is now reportedly awake, alert and aware of what happened but remained hospitalized as of Monday.
“Eric’s family is with him and is exceedingly thankful to everyone who has helped during this incident. The family also appreciates the well-wishes and support from friends and the community. At this time, the family asks that people refrain from contacting them directly so they can focus on supporting Eric,” the statement read, adding that Friedman had no previous symptoms and no history of heart disease but is “making significant improvements.”
The family is encouraging everyone to get checked out, learn the signs and symptoms of heart disease and to also become CPR certified.
The City of Santa Barbara canceled this week’s city council and ordinance committee meetings due to Friedman's absence.
“Out of respect for Eric and his family, and due to the significance of the scheduled agenda items, we have decided to cancel the April 8 meeting and return with the agenda at a future meeting," Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse stated. “On behalf of my Council colleagues, our thoughts and best wishes are with the Friedman family for a speedy recovery.”
According to Friedman’s LinkedIn page, he’s been a council member since 2017.
