Washington [US], August 22 : Actor Hayden Panettiere was given Narcan and CPR after she was found unconscious at a South Carolina Airbnb on Sunday, according to an account from Zach Hickerson, the brother of her boyfriend Brian Hickerson.
Zach Hickerson told TMZ that he and Brian found Panettiere unresponsive at the townhouse in Greenville, South Carolina, where the on-off couple had recently arrived. He said he immediately called 911, while Brian administered Narcan before the brothers jointly performed CPR as emergency responders were on their way.
"When we went in and tried to wake Hayden up for lunch, we realised she was unconscious," Zach recalled, adding, "I immediately called 911 and Brian gave her Narcan. We then jointly performed CPR while 911 was on speaker until Fire and EMS arrived. At that point we watched as they tried every measure possible to save her life."
As per The Hollywood Reporter, a heavily redacted incident report from the Greenville Police Department, released this week, details the brothers' response after Panettiere was found unresponsive. According to the report, first responders attempted to revive her but were unsuccessful. Brian Hickerson became very emotional and showed authorities a bag containing medication he said Panettiere was taking.
Zach said he had attended a church service on Sunday morning and exchanged messages with Brian, with the two planning to have lunch and play indoor golf afterwards.
After leaving church, Zach said he called and texted both Panettiere and his brother. Assuming they had gone back to sleep, he drove to the Airbnb, where his grandmother also lives in Greenville.
As per The Hollywood Reporter, Zach said he did not have the door code and initially could not enter. A loud knock eventually woke Brian, he said, and the brothers discovered Panettiere and Brian had been sleeping on a fold-out couch in the townhouse's living room.
A Narcan bottle was reported to have been at the scene, while reports also said first responders had discussed an "overdose." The information provided does not establish the cause of Panettiere's death.
Zach said he wanted to clarify his account amid public speculation surrounding the actor's death.
"There are a lot of assumptions, speculations and accusations currently swirling," he said, adding, "The truth will come out as the authorities complete and release additional details from the investigation. And that is important because the people who loved and adored Hayden deserve the truth."
Brian Hickerson dated Panettiere on and off beginning in 2018. He was arrested several times in subsequent years for domestic abuse and, at one point, pleaded no contest to two felony charges related to an assault against Panettiere.
Zach expressed his grief over Panettiere's death, describing her as a close friend.
"I am beyond heartbroken and devastated by this tragic and traumatic loss," he told TMZ, adding, "Hayden was one of my dearest and closest friends that I loved and cared about for the last 8 years."