“I Could Have Died Over Something So Small”: Below Deck’s Fraser Olender, 33, Reveals Terrifying Heart Attack He Says Was Triggered by Vaping
To fans of Below Deck, Fraser Olender has always appeared sharp, stylish, and fully in control — the charismatic chief stew whose confidence lit up the screen.
But behind that polished exterior, his body was in far more danger than anyone knew.
Now 33, Fraser has broken his silence about a sudden and life-threatening cardiac event that left him hospitalised for a week — and the shocking belief that vaping may have been the cause.
💥 “One Minute I Was Fine — The Next I Couldn’t Breathe”
In a deeply personal Instagram update, Fraser told followers that he had recently been rushed to emergency care after suffering crushing chest pain and shortness of breath.
He described the terrifying moment his world collapsed:
“I was suddenly hit with intense chest pain and couldn’t catch my breath. Before I knew it, I was being taken to the hospital.”
Doctors immediately began running tests as Fraser fought waves of pain he said he had never experienced before.
What they discovered stunned him.
🩺 A Rare — and Extremely Dangerous — Heart Attack
After days of tests in two London hospitals, specialists concluded that Fraser had suffered a coronary artery vasospasm — an abrupt, violent constriction of the arteries that feed oxygen to the heart.
And that spasm triggered a STEMI heart attack, the most severe and life-threatening category.
Fraser wrote:
“They told me the arteries were clamping shut. Whatever was in the vape caused it.”
Unlike blockages from cholesterol or long-term disease, a vasospasm can strike suddenly — even in younger adults — and starve the heart of oxygen in seconds.
🔥 “Morphine Did Nothing” — The Agony He Still Can’t Forget
Fraser didn’t hold back about how excruciating the ordeal was.
“I’ve never known fear or pain like it,” he admitted.
Even after two doses of morphine, doctors had to escalate to the strongest emergency painkillers available — yet the agony barely eased.
“The pain stayed at a 7 out of 10 even after everything they gave me,” he said.
At one point during the attack, Fraser feared he might not wake up again.
💔 “I Could Have Lost My Life Over Something So Stupid”
It was the sentence that echoed loudest across social media.
“I genuinely could have died because of something so ridiculously unnecessary.”
The reality star said that coming face-to-face with mortality at his age forced him to confront the habit he had treated casually for years.
He hasn’t touched a vape since — and vows he never will.
🚨 A Warning He Hopes Will Save Others
Fraser made it clear that the reason he shared his experience publicly was to prevent someone else from ignoring the same risks:
“If my story gets even one person to rethink vaping, I’ll be glad I spoke up.”
He urged followers to quit immediately, writing:
“Please do yourselves a favour and stop — go cold turkey. Don’t risk your life over it.”
⭐ From Bravo Fame to a Medical Wake-Up Call
Fans know Fraser as the sharp-tongued, impeccably dressed chief stew who joined Below Deck in 2021 and quickly became a breakout favourite.
No one imagined that behind the scenes, he was moments from a cardiac emergency usually seen in much older adults.
His experience has now become one of the most powerful anti-vaping conversations in the Bravo community — and across social media.
🙏 “I’m Just Grateful to Still Be Here”
Fraser says he is now recovering and focusing on healing — physically and emotionally.
“I never thought something like this could happen to me,” he said.
“But it did. And I’m incredibly grateful I survived.”
His ordeal now stands as a stark reminder: sometimes the things we dismiss as harmless can be the ones that nearly cost us our lives.