Apple denies CNN iReport of Steve Jobs heart attack

Apple has categorically denied a citizen report published to the CNN iReport website early Friday claiming that chief executive Steve Jobs had been rushed to a local ER following a major heart attack.

"It is not true," Apple spokesman Steve Dowling told Reuters.

CNN describes its iReport site as a venue where ordinary citizen journalists can share their "passion about the news."

"At CNN we live for news. We love talking about it. And we know that there's a whole lot more to it than what you see on TV or read on your favorite Web site," the news agency says. "So we've launched an independent world where you, the iReport.com community, tell the stories we're not used to seeing. And the most compelling, important, and urgent ones may get seen on CNN."

The report about Jobs appears to have been one of the stories deemed suitable for publication on the alternative news service. Although CNN has since removed the report, a copy secured by Silicon Alley Insider can be seen below:

Steve Jobs was rushed to the ER just a few hours ago after suffering a major heart attack. I have an insider who tells me that paramedics were called after Steve claimed to be suffering from severe chest pains and shortness of breath. My source has opted to remain anonymous, but he is quite reliable. I haven't seen anything about this anywhere else yet, and as of right now, I have no further information, so I thought this would be a good place to start. If anyone else has more information, please share it.

Friday's incident is the second scare in as many months to send a shiver through the Apple investment community and industry watchers in general. On August 28th, the Bloomberg news service accidently published an obituary for Jobs while making a routine update to its stock files.

Shares of Apple entered into a 10 point free fall following the most recent incident Friday before recovering nearly all those loses after the company officially denied the report.