American-Canadian actor, Matthew Perry was found underwater in his hot tub by his assistant who lifted his head up to try to get him some air, first responders have revealed.
But by the time the Los Angeles Fire Department arrived at the Friends star’s Pacific Palisades home on Saturday and lifted him out of the jacuzzi, he was already dead.
New report about his death
Captain Erik Scott, with the LAFD said: ‘Los Angeles City Firefighters responded [and] found an adult male unconscious in a stand-alone hot tub.
‘A bystander had brought the man’s head above the water and gotten him to the edge, then firefighters removed him from the water upon their arrival.
‘A rapid medical assessment, sadly, revealed the man was deceased prior to first responder arrival.
‘The circumstances are under investigation by LAPD and the LA County Medical Examiner. We mourn with families and friends who lose a loved one unexpectedly.’
Official cause of death
Perry is believed to have drowned, although an official cause of death has not yet been determined.
An initial autopsy result has been ‘deferred’, with toxicology reports set to follow.
It comes after a 15-second dispatch call emerged revealing the moment his assistant called 911 to report a cardiac arrest.
The recording of the moment emergency services rushed to the scene was shared which describes a drowning – known as an Emergency Medical Situation 9.
A first responder can be heard saying: ‘Agent 23. Rescue 23. EMS 9 on the radio. In response to the drowning.’
The actor – best known for playing Chandler Bing in Friends – was open about his battles with opiates and booze but said he was clean in recent interviews.
First responders are said to have found anti-depressants and anti-anxiety medications at the property – but there was no sign of any illegal drugs.
The coroner for Los Angeles County has listed Perry’s cause of death as ‘deferred’, pending the final results of toxicology tests.
On Sunday afternoon, the coroner released his body to the family, but said they are yet to determine a cause of death.
The Medical Examiner’s office can release initial results within days, or it can take six to eight weeks for final results of toxicology tests to come back.
Family friends have said the star seemed ‘fatigued’ in his last days, and in his final post on Instagram, shared earlier this week, he posted images of him in his pool.
The caption read: ‘Oh, so warm water swirling around makes you feel good? I’m Mattman.’
Perry wrote in his memoir, published last year, that he had spent $9 million trying to get sober, revealing he had been to 6,000 AA meetings, gone to rehab 15 times, and been in detox 65 times.
He said he overcame addiction in 2021 and was believed to be leading a healthier lifestyle.
