"Guest who is off his head on drugs and alcohol" — 911 call made before Liam Payne's death has hotel staff describing singer's actions

Staff at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, where Liam Payne spent his final moments, claimed the late singer was "high on drugs" in a 911 call they made minutes before his death. The One Direction alum reportedly fell to his death from the balcony of his third-storey hotel room on October 16, 2024.

According to the transcript of the call, translated from Spanish to English by the BBC, the hotel's chief receptionist, Esteban, made two 911 calls requesting help with a "guest who is off his head on drugs and alcohol."

The receptionist never mentioned Liam Payne by name throughout the call, referring to him as a "guest."

In the first call, the receptionist gave the name of the hotel, claiming an intoxicated Payne was "trashing the room." After the first call cut out, the staff made a second call, where he reiterated the same information.

"Well, we’ve got a guest who is off his head on drugs and alcohol and, well, when he is conscious he is trashing the entire room and we need you to send someone, please," he said.

After the emergency services confirmed the address, the receptionist asked for help to be sent immediately. He added Liam Payne's hotel room had a balcony and they were scared for his safety.

"CasaSur Palermo, and we need you to send someone urgently because, well, I don’t know whether his life may be in danger, the guest’s life. He is in a room with a balcony and well, we’re a little afraid that he…" the staff said.

The receptionist added Liam Payne had been staying at the hotel for two to three days, and the staff were unable to get into his room to help him.

The 911 operator said they had notified the medical services (SAME) and the local authorities, adding the SAME wouldn't enter the room alone as the receptionist claimed Payne was under the influence.

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Liam Payne reportedly had a skull fracture

In an interview with Todo Noticias TV, Alberto Crescenti, the SAME director, said Liam Payne died minutes after the 911 call was made.

Crescenti added the SAME team noted that the singer sustained a fracture at the base of his skull, presumably from the three-storey fall.

He also said Payne, aged 31, fell from “about 13 or 14 meters” and “suffered severe injuries incompatible with life.”

"At 17:04, through 911, the integrated public security system, we were alerted of a person who was in an internal courtyard of the Casa Sur hotel management. At 17:11, a SAME team arrived and confirmed the man's death. We later learned that he was a singer in a musical group. Unfortunately, he had injuries incompatible with life as a result of his fall, so we had to confirm his death. There was no possibility of resuscitation," he said.

A wave of tribute followed the news of the singer's death. Fellow One Direction members' families were among those mourning the singer, including Harry Styles' mother, Zayn Malik's sisters and Niall Horan's brother. The band members have yet to publicly speak about Payne's death.

Liam Payne had a son Bear, aged seven. The late singer's family issued a statement via BCC, calling him a "kind, funny and brave soul."

“We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul. We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time,” the statement read.

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Liam Payne had previously spoken about his drug addiction and su*cidal ideation. He revealed in a 2021 podcast interview that his boy band life was filled with "pills and booze."

In July 2023, he announced that he was over 100 days sober after spending time in rehab.