Santa Barbara City Councilmember Eric Friedman is reportedly stable and recovering well after sustaining a heart attack Saturday while paddleboarding offshore with a couple friends. His friends helped stabilize him, and first responders appeared on the scene quickly.
Friedman was taken to Cottage Hospital, where he is reportedly alert, comfortable, and remembers what happened. Friedman, age 47, had no known heart ailments or conditions and according to spokesperson Ben Romo has no known history of heart disease in his family.
It’s unclear how long Friedman will be laid up as a result or when he will be able to resume his council duties. Tuesday’s City Council meeting has been canceled as a result.
Friedman, whose district encompasses much of San Roque, is known as a thoughtful moderate on the council, one sometimes inclined toward lengthy digressions bursting with historical and literary allusions. On the big vote that had been scheduled for Tuesday — on a controversial measure over tenant renoviction protections — Friedman had expressed serious reservations. Rather than enact new protections that landlords might find onerous, he argued, the council should do more to reduce regulations hampering property owners inclined to build higher-density rental housing.
All the agenda items for April 8 are being rescheduled. Mayor Randy Rowse said in a statement: “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. On behalf of my Council colleagues, our thoughts and best wishes are with the Friedman family for a speedy recovery.”
