Matthew Perry's assistant found Friends star with 'head underwater in hot tub'
30 October 2023, 22:14 | Updated: 30 October 2023, 22:23
Matthew Perry's assistant found the Friends star 'with his head underwater in his hot tub', it has emerged.
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The 54-year-old actor was found dead at his home in Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon.
Perry's assistant found him in the hot tub and lifted his head up to try and get him some air, the Los Angeles Times reports.
The actor was already fead when emergency services arrived at his home.
An LAFD spokesperson said: "An adult male patient 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.
An initial post-mortem on Perry has come back inconclusive after the Friends star was found dead.
A toxicology report has been ordered after the 54-year-old was believed to have drowned in his hot tub following a cardiac arrest.
The Los Angeles County medical examiner is not set to make an official conclusion for several weeks.
It means the cause of Perry's death on Saturday, which has devastated the beloved sitcom's fans, has not been confirmed.
There were no obvious signs of trauma, according to police.
A brief audio of the dispatch call was published by TMZ.
Read more: Everything known about Matthew Perry's death as initial post-mortem results come back 'inconclusive'
"Agent 23. Rescue 23. EMS 9 on the radio. In response to the drowning," a first responder says in the clip.
EMS 9 is a emergency medical situation nine, a drowning.
Perry, who played Chandler Bing in the 90s and 00s sitcom, had struggles with drug and drink addiction in the past.
The star wrote a memoir called Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing, which included intimate details of some of his worst days.
He was extremely open about his problems and would offer support to people suffering similar issues.
His colon burst in 2019 because of opioid use, which he said was a near-death experience.
However, no narcotics were found at his home, while anti-depressants and anxiety medication were discovered.
Earlier in the day, he had played a racquet sport at a country club near his home, though a female friend reportedly said he had appeared "fatigued" in recent days.
Perry's family said in a statement: "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.
"You all meant so much to him and we appreciate the tremendous outpouring of love."
