Matthew Perry‘s assistant placed a frantic 911 call when the Friends actor reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest in his hot tub. The 15-second recording mentions a drowning, described as an Emergency Medical Situation 9, The Sun reported.
First responders responded to a call for a cardiac arrest
“Agent 23. Rescue 23. EMS 9 on the radio. In response to the drowning,” the audio says, also bleeping out certain words.
Perry was found dead in his home’s hot tub in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles at around 4 p.m, The Post reported. Pictures show a big white tent near his pool and hot tub in the backyard.
Police placed tape around the property while they looked into the situation. Sources in law enforcement informed TMZ that no drugs were discovered at the location, and there were no suspicions of any criminal activity.
Officials found anti-depressants, anti-anxiety drugs, and medicine for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at Matthew’s residence. Law enforcement officials cordoned off the residence with tape as they continued their investigation into the incident.
After news of his passing emerged, Perry’s parents, Suzanne Perry and John Bennett Perry, who divorced in 1970, were visibly upset outside his residence. Suzanne was accompanied by her husband, Keith Morrison from “Dateline.”
Perry’s fame as Chandler and battle with drug abuse
Matthew Perry is best known for his role as Chandler Bing in the iconic ’90s sitcom, which aired for ten seasons and included 234 episodes.
His character’s unique quirks and famous lines have made a lasting impact, often imitated and celebrated by fans worldwide. His fans paid tribute by leaving flowers at the New York apartment building featured in the series.
The actor was quite open about his long battle with alcohol and drug abuse. He shared his struggles in his 2022 memoir, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.”
Perry shared that he used to take as many as 55 Vicodin painkillers daily during the third season of Friends. He also admitted to misusing the tranquilizer Xanax and the painkiller OxyContin, according to The Sun.
Throughout the years, he sought treatment for his addiction issues on 15 occasions, according to The Post. In 2018, his excessive drug use led to a severe medical crisis when his colon burst. Medical professionals gave him a mere 2% chance of survival during that critical period.
Following this traumatic event, he spent two weeks in a coma and remained hospitalized for five months. As part of his recovery, he had to use a colostomy bag for nine months, which was a challenging and unsettling experience.
