EXCLUSIVE: Hayden Panettiere's Final Moments Before Tragic 'Overdose' Death Revealed
Hayden Panettiere's final hours come to light after her death from an accidental drug overdose
Nov. 9 2026, Published 7:00 a.m. ET
A chilling 911 audio-tape captures the desperate final attempts to save actress Hayden Panettiere's life, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
"Oh God, oh my God! You do like CPR or something?" a frantic Zach Hickerson can be heard telling a 911 dispatcher.
Moments later, when the dispatcher asks if the Heroes alum is breathing, he said: "No, I don't think so."
Zach – the brother of Panettiere's on-off boyfriend Brian Hickerson – reportedly found the actress unresponsive in an Airbnb in South Carolina on Aug. 16 and dialed 911.
Panettiere's Brother Receives Desperate CPR Instructions From Dispatcher
Zach Hickerson reportedly found Hayden Panettiere unresponsive at an Airbnb in South Carolina and called 911.
He told the dispatcher he'd just arrived at the apartment after returning from church and explained his brother was also there.
"He woke up and his girl... she's unconscious," Zach said.
The dispatcher instructed Zach to find a defibrillator. When he couldn't, he confirmed Panettiere wasn't breathing.
"OK, we need to start CPR," the dispatcher told Zach. "I'm going to tell you how to do CPR, OK? We're gonna start with ventilation first. I need you to lay her flat on her back and remove anything from under her head."
Panettiere's Brother Desperately Tried to Save Her Life
A 911 dispatcher guided Hickerson through CPR until first responders arrived.
In a heroic bid to bring the 36-year-old Nashville alum back to life, Zach performed CPR, counting the number of chest compressions as instructed by the dispatcher.
He continued performing CPR until first responders arrived and took over.
The actress was pronounced dead at 2:32 p.m. – shortly after the 911 call was received at about 1:51 p.m., according to the Greenville County Coroner's Office.
A police report revealed Brian gave police officers a "bag of medication" the actress had been taking.
Narcan, a medication designed to rapidly reverse the effects of a life-threatening opioid emergency, was reportedly found at the scene.
Panettiere's Death Ruled Accidental Despite DEA Investigation
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The Greenville County Coroner's Office ruled Panettiere's death an accident caused by the toxic effects of multiple drugs.
Panettiere had previously been open about her struggles with addiction.
The Drug Enforcement Administration has joined the investigation into her death and searched Panettiere's home in L.A. nine days after she died.
Neither of the Hickerson brothers has been charged with any crime relating to her death.
Panettiere's cause of death was ruled to be the toxic effects of fentanyl, ANPP, alprazolam, methocarbamol and quetiapine.
The manner of death was ruled an accident with no signs of foul play.
