New coverage of the emergency call surrounding Hayden Panettiere's death is bringing renewed attention to the desperate attempts to revive the actress. TMZ's October 14 report describes a dispatcher guiding CPR after she was found unresponsive in South Carolina.
The recording concerns the August 16 emergency in Greenville, rather than a newly reported death. Although the latest coverage describes the audio as newly released, FOX Carolina published a report about the death-related 911 recording on August 17. It is unclear whether the October coverage includes additional audio.
According to Page Six's account, Zach Hickerson, the brother of Panettiere's on-and-off partner Brian Hickerson, sought emergency assistance after finding her unresponsive. The recording captures efforts to administer CPR with instructions from a dispatcher, providing an account of the attempt to save her before emergency personnel took over.
A police report obtained by CBS News previously established that both brothers were present when first responders arrived. Officers encountered firefighters and emergency medical personnel performing CPR, and the report described an extended effort to revive Panettiere before she was declared dead. The responding officer recorded no obvious physical explanation for her condition at the scene.
The subsequent medical findings provided a clearer explanation. In September, the Greenville County Coroner's Office determined that Panettiere died from the combined toxic effects of several drugs, including fentanyl, and classified the death as accidental. The office reported no signs of trauma, while Greenville police said their separate investigation remained active at that time.
Zach had also previously told TMZ that Brian administered Narcan after they discovered Panettiere unconscious. That statement remains his account of the emergency; it should be distinguished from the findings documented by investigators and the coroner.
The latest reporting adds an audible record of the emergency response to a case already documented through police and medical reports. Its significance lies in the attempted rescue, rather than establishing a new cause of death or responsibility for what happened.
