CBS Meteorologist Lonnie Quinn Returns to Work After Suffering Traumatic Brain Injury

CBS News meteorologist Lonnie Quinn returned to work on Monday (May 5), two months after suffering a traumatic brain injury.

On Monday’s broadcast, Quinn thanked his co-workers for their support, “Listen, I missed you guys more than you know. I mean, this is a business where we’re kind of connected to what we do, and I’m certainly connected with you guys.”

A video then aired showing Quinn reuniting with the newsroom staff, who all welcomed him back with open arms.

Quinn, who formerly served as a weather anchor on CBS This Morning Saturday, previously explained he “took a wallop” to his head in March, which required a trip to the hospital.

“Once the MRI came back… that’s when the doctors came in and said, ‘Okay, well, this is actually a traumatic brain injury, not just a concussion. You’ve got to be out of work for six to eight weeks, and we just got to [stick to] rest and relaxation and get you back to it,'” he shared on Monday’s show.

He continued, “The big concern in the medical community, they want to see if there’s a brain bleed because you can be dead in the morning if you don’t treat that.”

Quinn said at the time he had a “negative” CT scan and was “free to go home.” So he “got on with my life, as we all do when we bang our heads, right?”

However, symptoms persisted, including being unable to see out of his left eye for a short period. “I did the newscast. But that’s when our news director — who really looks out for her people — said, ‘Okay, you’re not driving home. We’re gonna get you a car. You’re going to the hospital,'” he revealed.

Quinn urged others to take head injuries seriously and not try and rush back to work or strenuous activity. “When you bang your head, your brain recovers nicely, but it only recovers while the body is sleeping,” he stated.

CBS Weather Correspondent Rob Marciano marked Quinn’s return to work on Instagram. Sharing a photo alongside Quinn at the CBS News studio, Marciano wrote, “Happy to share that Lonnie Quinn is back to work today @cbsnewyork and @cbseveningnews !!”

 

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A post shared by Rob Marciano (@robertmarciano)

“This man is a good friend, a gifted weather pro, and all around great human,” he added. “It’s been a fun privilege to fill-in for him the last few weeks as he heals and works thru concussion recovery. We are all so psyched to have him healthy and back in action!!”

Quinn is the chief meteorologist for the 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. broadcasts on weekdays and can also be seen on CBS Evening News.