A 911 call has revealed that Zach Hickerson attempted CPR on actress Hayden Panettiere after finding her unconscious at her home in Greenville, South Carolina.
Panettiere was discovered by Zach and his brother, Brian Hickerson, on the afternoon of 16 August. She was pronounced dead at the scene at the age of 36, despite advanced cardiac life support measures, according to the Greenville County Coroner’s Office.
In the call, Zach Hickerson told the operator he had gone to the home after church and that Panettiere did not appear to be breathing. When asked whether there was a defibrillator in the apartment building, he said he did not know.
The operator then instructed him to begin CPR, giving directions for chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation while emergency services were on their way.
Hayden Panettiere’s cause of death
An autopsy concluded that Panettiere’s death was accidental. The cause was recorded as the “toxic effects of” fentanyl, 4-ANPP, alprazolam, methocarbamol and quetiapine.
Zach Hickerson later said that Brian Hickerson had given Panettiere Narcan, a medicine used to reverse opioid overdoses, after they found her unconscious.
Panettiere, who began acting as a child in Remember the Titans, later became known for television roles in Heroes and Nashville. She had spoken publicly about substance abuse, telling People magazine in 2022 that she became addicted to opioids and alcohol during her teens.
In her 2026 memoir, This Is Me: A Reckoning, she wrote about addiction, physical abuse, postpartum depression and recovery. Speaking to Gayle King in May, Panettiere said she hoped sharing her experiences 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.”
