Newly released 911 audio captures the desperate efforts to save Hayden Panettiere after she suffered a fatal overdose.
Panettiere died at age 36 on August 16 at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina, after suffering the “toxic effects” of multiple substances, including fentanyl. Her death was ruled accidental.
Her on-off boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother Zach were at the property when she was pronounced dead.
The audio, obtained by CBS on Wednesday, begins with Zach exclaiming ‘oh God, oh my God!’ as he waits to speak with a dispatcher.
Zach told the dispatcher, “I walked in after church to my brother and his girlfriend’s apartment and she’s unconscious.” He said Brian eventually woke up, but Panettiere remained unresponsive.
Zach also reported that Panettiere was not breathing. When the dispatcher asked whether he had access to a defibrillator, he questioned whether the apartment complex would have such lifesaving equipment.
Newly released 911 audio reveals the frantic attempt to save Hayden Panettiere after her overdose, pictured in 2022
Panettiere’s on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson, pictured together above, and his brother Zach were both present when the actress was pronounced dead
The dispatcher instructed Zach and Brian to “start CPR” as someone could be heard shouting in the background.
Zach was told to place his phone on speaker so the dispatcher could guide them. The brothers were instructed to give mouth-to-mouth breaths and perform chest compressions.
The urgency of the call intensified as the dispatcher told the brothers to place Panettiere “flat on her back” and remove anything beneath her head.
When the dispatcher briefly paused, one of the brothers cried out, “What do we do?” before the CPR instructions resumed.
“Oh my God! I know how to do this! How many times?” one of the brothers asked during the resuscitation attempt. A voice could then be heard urging, “Come on!”
The call concluded when emergency responders arrived and took over the ultimately unsuccessful efforts to revive Panettiere.
Panettiere had been staying with the Hickerson brothers at an Airbnb property.
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In August, detectives confirmed to the Daily Mail that officers had responded to a 911 call from an “acquaintance” who reported that Panettiere was “unresponsive.”
Narcan, a nasal spray designed to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, was reportedly found on a mattress in the loft apartment, according to TMZ. The 911 recording does not indicate that Narcan was administered during the call.
According to a Greenville Police Department incident report, Zach told investigators that Brian had been sleeping in another room when Zach arrived and found Panettiere unresponsive in a chair.
Zach said Brian administered Narcan, the medication used to counter opioid overdoses, while the brothers performed CPR and spoke with 911 dispatchers.
The recording opens with Zach, at right, exclaiming, “Oh God, oh my God!” as he waits to speak with the dispatcher. He then says, “I walked in after church to my brother and his girlfriend’s apartment and she’s unconscious,” explaining that Brian woke up but Panettiere did not.
Panettiere is survived by her daughter, Kaya, whom she welcomed during her nine-year relationship with former fiancé Wladimir Klitschko, 50
Panettiere died aged 36 on August 16 at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina, from the ‘toxic effects’ of multiple drugs – including fentanyl. Her death was accidental – pictured May 2026
Tension is heard rising on the audio clip as the dispatcher instructs the brothers to lay Panettiere ‘flat on her back and remove anything from under her head’ – pictured 2009
Panettiere is survived by Kaya, whom she welcomed during her nine-year romance with ex-fiance Wladimir Klitschko, 50.
In 2018, Panettiere signed full custody of her daughter, Kaya, to her ex amid her battle with postpartum depression and addiction and Wladimir moved the toddler to his native Ukraine.
Panettiere began acting as a child, appearing in soap operas, then gained wider recognition for her role in the 2000 sports drama Remember the Titans with Denzel Washington, and as the voice of Dot in Pixar’s 1998 film A Bug’s Life.
Panettiere later found fame playing cheerleader Claire Bennet in the superhero drama Heroes before starring as country singer Juliette Barnes for six seasons on Nashville.
She earned two Golden Globe nominations for best supporting actress on the show, while her singing produced 11 entries on the US Billboard Hot Country Songs charts.
Panettiere’s film credits include 2006’s Bring It On: All or Nothing, the comedy-drama film Raising Helen, and appearances in Scream 4 and Scream VI as Kirby Reed.