State Sen. Tim Melson had a heart attack on a state recruiting trip to South Korea and is in critical condition, according to several news reports.

The reports said Melson (R-Florence) suddenly collapsed in a coffee shop Thursday. State Sen. Arthur Orr (R-Decatur) administered CPR, according to WAFF-TV in Huntsville.

Melson was transported from a rural hospital to a larger facility in Seoul where his wife and family are traveling to be with him, reports said.

The recruiting trip was to recruit businesses and STEM teachers to Alabama, according to reports.

Melson represents District 1, which includes all of Lauderdale County, a part of Limestone and a small section of Madison County.

State Sen. Keith Kelley of Weaver posted in Facebook:

“I ask for your prayers for my friend Senator Tim Melson. He had a heart attack and we need your prayers for him and his family. Thank you”

Melson was an anesthesiologist at Helen Keller Hospital and retired 10 years ago when he received a life-saving liver transplant.

He and Rep. Mike Ball, R-Madison, sponsored the medical cannabis legislation Gov. Kay Ivey signed into law in 2021. Melson first offered the bill in 2019.