911 call shows Hayden Panettiere was given CPR on day she died
Zach Hickerson, the brother of Hayden Panettiere's on-again, off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, called 911 and attempted CPR on the actress before she was declared dead.
Key points
- A 911 call shows Zach Hickerson performed CPR on Hayden Panettiere before she was declared dead.
- Panettiere, 36, was found unconscious at her Greenville, South Carolina, home on Aug. 16.
- An autopsy ruled her death accidental, caused by toxic effects of fentanyl and other drugs.
A 911 call obtained by CBS News reveals that Zach Hickerson, brother of Hayden Panettiere's on-again, off-again boyfriend Brian Hickerson, attempted CPR on the actress before she was declared dead. Panettiere, 36, was found unconscious at her Greenville, South Carolina, residence on the afternoon of Aug. 16 by Zach and Brian Hickerson, according to a police report and the 911 call.
She was pronounced dead at the scene despite advanced cardiac life support measures, the Greenville County Coroner's Office said. An autopsy found her death was accidental and ruled the cause as the toxic effects of fentanyl, 4-ANPP, alprazolam, methocarbamol and quetiapine.
Details from the 911 call
On the 911 call, Zach Hickerson said he had come over to the couple's home after church and told the operator that Panettiere did not appear to be breathing. The operator asked if they had a defibrillator, but Zach Hickerson said he didn't know if there was one in the apartment building.
The operator then instructed Zach Hickerson to begin CPR and gave him directions for chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth until emergency medical services arrived. Zach Hickerson also told TMZ a few days later that Brian Hickerson gave Panettiere Narcan, a medication that can reverse opioid overdoses, after they found her unconscious.
I really wanted to share with the world that they don't have to be afraid. That they can live their truth. They can be imperfect.
— Hayden Panettiere
Panettiere's openness about addiction
Panettiere had spoken openly about her struggles with substance abuse, telling People magazine in 2022 that she became addicted to opioids and alcohol in her teens. In her 2026 memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, she wrote about her experience with addiction, physical abuse, postpartum depression and recovery.
Panettiere told CBS News' Gayle King in May that she hoped sharing her story would help others. "I really wanted to share with the world that they don't have to be afraid. That they can live their truth. They can be imperfect," she said. Asked how she was doing, she replied, "Still working on myself all the time. I had a great therapist and I'm — I'm better, healthier than I've been in a long time."
