UPDATE: Man Chokes On Crab Cake, Collapses at Contest

UPDATE—Mike Solano, the man who collapsed after participating the Crab Ball crab cake eating contest yesterday, has not improved, according to his wife Mary. 

"He isn't doing well he is actually still at ," she wrote in an email to Patch. "They are not releasing him because of his condition. He actually had no heartbeat or pulse and was eventually brought back. Very low blood pressure and heartbeat."

Mary went on to say that doctors found a "foreign material" in his lungs and that he is unable to get out of bed because of the pain.

Stay with Patch as we continue to update this story.  

ORIGINAL—The  crab cake eating contest was cut short Saturday when a man choked after eating five 3-ounce servings of the delicacy.

The contestant collapsed and began convulsing after the first round of eating. , the popular Baltimore radio show host and event emcee, was going through each contestant’s score when someone shouted, “This man needs a doctor!”

Audience members rushed on stage to help, but the Cucchiella asked people to give the man space.

“If you’re not qualified to help, please get off the stage,” said multiple times over the microphone.

The man was reportedly choking on a mouthful of crab meat and bread buns.

Paramedics quickly responded to Michael’s and stabilized the man’s breathing. He was transported to a local hospital for observation.

“He’s in good hands. The paramedics got him. They said he’ll be out tomorrow,” said Steve Dellis, one of the event’s organizers. “I thought he was going to puke and then I saw him go down and said, 'This isn’t good.'”

While the will go on, Dellis said they will not hold an eating contest in the future.

Last year, the winner of the contest consumed 15 crab cakes. This was the second year for the Crab Ball.