"Had thrown himself from the balcony of his room"— Buenos Aires security detail 911 call, sequence of events leading up to Liam Payne's death

Former One Direction singer Liam Payne tragically died on October 16 at the age of 31. According to local police officials, the musician fell from the balcony of his room at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. An investigation into his death is ongoing, with an autopsy yet to be conducted.

Liam Payne was holidaying in the country with his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, prior to his death. The duo shared updates about their vacation on social media, with Payne posting on Snapchat just hours before his passing that he was having a “lovely day.” They also attended Nial Horan’s concert at the Movistar Arena, after which Cassidy left the country on October 14, while Payne stayed behind.

Pablo Policicchio, the spokesperson for the Security Ministry of Buenos Aires, said in a statement to the Associated Press that Liam Payne:

“Had thrown himself from the balcony of his room.”

The police further reported that the singer’s passing resulted from “extremely serious injuries” sustained after falling from a height of 13 to 14 meters. The singer reportedly died on the spot. Alberto Crescenti, the head of the state emergency medical system, told local news outlet Todo Noticias TV:

“We arrived in time to try and revive him, but there was nothing we could do.”

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Police suggest Liam Payne allegedly had drugs or alcohol in his system before his death

Police said in a press statement that they were called to the hotel after an employee requested help with an “aggressive man who could be under the effect of drugs and alcohol.” A hotel worker revealed that the Strip That Down crooner had smashed his laptop before he had to be carried back into his room. In an audio recording obtained by Reuters from the Buenos Aires security ministry, a hotel employee was heard calling the police for help, saying:

“When he is conscious, he is destroying the entire room, and we need you to send someone.”

The worker went on to add that due to his condition, he is a risk to himself in the hotel.

By the time police arrived, the hotel manager had reportedly heard a loud noise from the inner courtyard and discovered that a man had fallen from the balcony of his room. The fall reportedly occurred shortly after 5 p.m.

TMZ exclusively published a picture of the crime scene, which showed the hotel’s wooden deck surrounded by tables and chairs. Although a picture of the singer’s body was not shared publicly, part of his hand was blurred in the image.

Liam Payne had been open about his struggles with alcohol and prescription drug addiction. In a 2021 Diary of a CEO podcast interview, Payne said:

“I was worried how far my rock bottom was going to be. Where’s rock bottom for me? And you would never have seen it. I’m very good at hiding it. No one would ever have seen it.”

Payne also explained that he was suffering from “suicidal ideation” during his dark days of touring with the band.

In the wake of his death, a source exclusively told Page Six that the musician had been "cycling through periods of ruinous behavior for a long time. He was open about his struggles but tried to downplay them at times. His demons were much worse than he let on.”

Liam Payne’s death comes weeks after his ex-fiancee, Maya Henry, filed a cease and desist order against the singer after he allegedly repeatedly tried to contact her family and friends.

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Payne is survived by his seven-year-old son, Bear, whom he shares with ex-girlfriend, Cheryl Cole.