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CBS caught a medical emergency live on camera, as one crew member was forced to yell: "Call a doctor!" Newsreader Tony Dokoupil was live in Taiwan, discussing US president Donald Trump's visit with Chinese president Xi Jinping, when his camera operator suddenly fell ill, with the picture flickering out of focus before disappearing entirely, while the network instead showed prior footage of the surrounding area.

Dokoupil was saying: "And finally tonight from Taiwan, as President Trump and China's Xi Jinping prepare to meet, you will hear a lot about American decline and the rise of a powerful new China. The Chinese certainly-" but cut off when the shot started to flicker out of focus. He asked: "Is he okay? We're gonna take a quick break, we have a medical emergency here. We're calling a doctor."

A woman's voice off-camera could be heard shouting: "Call a doctor, please!"

Back in the studio, anchor Matt Gutman told worried viewers: "So I'm going to sign off to Tony Dokoupil, who has been reporting in Taiwan, we're going to go to break. We'll be right back."

CBS News later released a statement, confirming that the cameraman is "okay".

It said: "Tonight during the final segment of CBS Evening News, our cameraman on set suffered a medical emergency. Thankfully, he's okay and recovering."

Viewers had taken to social media to share their concerns, with one tweeting: "Glad to hear he's okay! I know it was scary for everyone."

Somebody else said: "I didn't watch your broadcast, but I'm glad to hear the cameraman is doing okay. Best wishes for everyone else moving forward."

While a third echoed: "So good to hear! We were worried watching the quick cutaway."