Matthew Perry was already dead when his assistant found his lifeless body submerged in the jacuzzi at his home on Saturday afternoon.
On Monday, a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson told the Los Angeles Times that the “Friends” alum, 54, “was deceased prior to first response arrival.”
“The patient was found by a bystander who had re-positioned the victim where the head was out of water” in a freestanding hot tub, the LAFD rep said, adding that “firefighters pulled the victim out of the jacuzzi and did a quick medical assessment to find he was deceased.”
As previously reported, the actor had come back to his Pacific Palisades pad after playing a two-hour game of pickleball when he asked his assistant to run an errand.
Two hours later, the assistant discovered him unresponsive in his hot tub and called 911.
A short audio clip of the dispatch included a man saying “rescue 23” and “drowning,” but much of the recording was bleeped out before it went public.
Officials said LAFD personnel arrived at 4:07 p.m. local time and that Los Angeles Police Department officers showed up three minutes later.
It was initially reported that first responders rushed to Perry’s house after receiving a call about a cardiac arrest.
Law enforcement sources told the Times no illicit substances were discovered at the scene but that authorities did recover prescription medications, which follows TMZ’s report that “anti-depressants, anti-anxiety drugs and a COPD drug” were found on the premises.
COPD, short for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, causes airflow blockage and breathing-related problems; Perry — a recovering drug addict and alcoholic — previously admitted to being a smoker throughout his life.
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The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed to Page Six on Sunday that Perry’s autopsy was complete; however, the coroner has ordered more testing, including toxicology.
As these results remain pending, Perry’s cause of death has been “deferred.”
Though the head of the LAPD Robbery-Homicide Division — which is investigating Perry’s passing — told the Times that his “cause of death may not be known for some time,” they noted that “foul play is not suspected.”
The late star’s “heartbroken” family issued a statement following “the tragic loss” of their “beloved son and brother.”
“Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend,” they said. “You all meant so much to him, and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love.”
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