"I could have died": Below Deck star Fraser Olender reveals he suffered a heart attack due to vape poisoning

Below Deck alum Fraser Olender was recently hospitalized after he suffered a heart attack and a lung injury caused by vape poisoning. 

On Friday, December 5, 2025, Fraser took to Instagram to post a collection of photographs from his hospital visit, informing fans about his recent health crisis and the measures he had taken since cleaning up his lifestyle. 

Looking back on how everything unfolded and the risk vaping poses to lives, he said:

“I could have died for the sake of something so ridiculously stupid, so please do yourselves a favor and give it up too – cold turkey. We do not know enough about these horrific things but I can tell you one thing; that was NOT cute, not even for the plot [thumbs down emoji].”

The Bravo star emphasized the importance of eliminating the use and popularity of vapes from people’s lives, noting that it could pose a serious threat to anyone’s life at any time.

As for himself, after having experienced a painful attack, he had quit vaping, stating that he had been “off of vape” for three weeks. 

In an attempt to help others understand the benefits of giving up the practice of vaping, Fraser shared that his skin had “never been better” since he stopped vaping. 

Below Deck star Fraser Olender says vaping caused him to have coronary artery vasospasm

In the caption of his Instagram post, Olender revealed that a few weeks ago, he had to be “rushed to hospital due to severe chest pains and difficulties breathing.”

After that, he spent an entire week visiting London hospitals, consulting with specialists, and trying to find the reason behind his chest pains. 

“To keep it simple - I had vape poisoning (an E-cigarette or Vaping-Associated Lung Injury (EVALI)), and I have never experienced fear or pain like it,” he wrote. 

According to the American Heart Association, EVALI was recognized as a condition in 2019, and it requires intensive care. Symptoms may include bronchiolitis obliterans, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and more. 

As for Fraser, he had a coronary artery vasospasm, which medically meant the clamping down of arteries carrying blood to the heart. 

“That spasm reduced blood flow enough to cause an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), better known as a heart attack - not because of a blockage, but because my heart wasn’t getting enough oxygen during the spasm,” he explained. 

That said, the Below Deck star was “grateful” for his recovery and hoped his experience would help spread awareness about the grave dangers of vaping. 

He admitted that he never assumed something so painful would happen to him. Consequently, he wanted to share his story, hoping it would help others “rethink vaping.”

Recalling how fearful the experience was, Fraser shared that he had quit vaping since his hospitalization, saying that he would never pick up a vape again. 

Fraser stated that the pain he endured at the time was “inexplicable.”

“2 rounds of morphine didn’t touch the sides and eventually had to be given the strongest pain relief legal to administer in ER - and that only brought my pain from a 10 to a 7,” Fraser said.

The Bravo star noted that he could have lost his life from something “so ridiculously stupid,” which was why he urged people to quit vaping and live healthily.

Lastly, he wrote that ever since he quit vaping, his skin had become clearer and healthier, which, he believed, was correlated. Describing it as the “best skincare hack,” he motivated others to prioritize their health and give up the vape.

Stay tuned for more updates.