Actress Hayden Panettiere was reportedly found unresponsive in an armchair by her boyfriend's brother. The Heroes and Nashville star died on Sunday (August 16) at the age of 36. She had been staying at an apartment in Greenville, South Carolina, with her on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson.
Final hours and discovery
Brian and his brother Zach were at the scene when she died. According to TMZ, Zach found the actress in an armchair at around 1.30pm on Sunday, while Brian was asleep in a bedroom inside the apartment. Zach and Brian reportedly called 911 after they failed to wake Hayden up.
The Greenville Police Department said officers were deployed to a report of an unresponsive female at 13:51pm local time on Sunday. They said: "Upon arrival, medical assistance was administered; however, the individual, later identified as Hayden Panettiere, was pronounced deceased at the scene. The preliminary investigation has not indicated any signs of foul play or suspicious circumstances. An acquaintance of Ms. Panettiere placed the 911 call."
Cardiac arrest and emergency response
It's believed Hayden died after going into cardiac arrest following a suspected overdose. During the 911 call, dispatch workers were heard discussing a "cardiac arrest" and an alleged overdose. Emergency responders are said to have "worked on" the actress for nearly an hour in an attempt to save her but ultimately were unable to do so.
The coroner said "advanced cardiac life support measures" were performed but "resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, and the individual was pronounced deceased at 2:32 PM". Zach is said to have been "very emotional" as paramedics performed CPR, and that Brian only showed emotion after she was declared dead. This is a common psychological response as the mind can detach at the start of severe stress or trauma.
Investigation and medication
Brian allegedly showed the police a "bag of medication" that the star had been taking prior to her death. The dispatcher on the 911 call could be heard saying that Hayden suffered a suspected overdose. TMZ was told by sources that Narcan, a life-saving medicine that can quickly reverse an overdose, was allegedly found at the property.
Hayden had been open previously about her struggles with addiction. Police are still investigating the cause of death and the circumstances surrounding it.
