Matthew Perry battled for years with addiction to painkillers and alcohol.
Matthew Perry, the actor best known for playing the role of Chandler Bing in the sitcom ‘Friends’ died at the age of 54 in Los Angeles on October 28. He was found unconscious in a hot tub and the first responders were unable to revive him. A fire department spokesman confirmed it had responded to a “water emergency,” which could refer to a “pool, spa, bathtub or fountain,” but could not confirm reports that the actor had drowned. Now, an emergency 911 audio dispatch has revealed details about drowning in a jacuzzi.
According to the audio obtained by TMZ, the ‘Friends’ actor’s assistant called the police on Saturday at about 4 p.m. local time, which provides information on the cause of death. A large portion of the 16-second video has been beeped out, but it is evident that there were references to a “drowning” in the Pacific Palisades suburb. No drugs were found at the scene apart from the prescription medicines. The police do not suspect any foul play.
“Agent 23. Rescue 23. EMS 9 on the radio. In response to the drowning,” a man says in the audio clip as the first responders were sent to Mr Perry’s house. It is believed that “Rescue 23” is a reference to the local fire station.
As per the Los Angeles Times, Police Captain Scot Williams said the “cause of death may not be known for some time, but at this point, foul play is not suspected.”
The actor’s parents John Bennett Perry and Suzanne Morrison along with stepfather Keith Morrison, arrived at Mr Perry’s residence. In a statement, the family stated that they were devastated by the death of their son. “We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of our beloved son and brother. Matthew brought so much joy to the world, both as an actor and a friend,” they said. The family continued, “You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love.”
During the height of his success, Mr Perry battled for years with addiction to painkillers and alcohol, and attended rehabilitation clinics on multiple occasions, AFP reported. He further experienced health problems including a burst colon in 2018 due to his drug usage, which required multiple surgeries and the use of a colostomy bag for months after.
In his memoir ‘Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing’, which he dedicated to “all of the sufferers out there”, the ‘Friends’ star talked about drug abuse and alcoholism and described going through detox dozens of times and spending millions of dollars in repeated attempts to get sober.