On Saturday at AEE, Bridget Monroe, Selena Steele and Amber Lynn were in the Protecting Adult Welfare (PAW) booth posing for photos when Amber went to sit down with Clayton Rithmiller, a roadie who is one of the finest at what he does, for a bite to eat. Suddenly his eyes started rolling back into his head and he couldn’t breathe.
Lynn recognized the signs and asked him if he was having a heart attack. He said he didn’t know. Lynn shouted that Clayton was having a heart attack. Steele immediately ran over to the GayVN section where the music was booming, asked them to turn down the music for a minute, took the microphone and made an announcement asking if any doctors or EMTs were in the audience. (She knew there was at least one EMT in the house because she had just signed a photo for him.)
At the same time, fans were photographing Lynn as she was trying to help Rithmiller. Monroe jumped in and started pushing people back, clearing the aisle. Paramedics showed up 15 minutes later, took Clayton to the Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center, where he remains today. Rithmiller is having coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) operation on three blocked arteries this Friday.
“We all love him and wish him the best,” Monroe said. “He’s worked for everyone from Tera Patrick to Blondage to Terry Weigel, you name it, he’s worked with them. I’ve always loved working with him. He’s the best and we’re really, really hoping that he comes out all right.”
