Colombian Authorities report Taylor Hawkins had ten substances in his system at time of death

Two days ago, on March 25, 2022, emergency services were called to the Casa Medina hotel in Bogotá, Colombia, where Taylor Hawkins, the drummer for Foo Fighters, was suffering from chest pain in his hotel room. Health personnel arrived and found Hawkins unresponsive; they performed CPR, but he was declared dead at the scene. No cause of death was given.

Hundreds of thousands of people, including fellow rockstars, took to social media to pay respects and mourn the late drummer, celebrating and recognizing his many accomplishments and successes in his musical career, as well as his life outside music.

However, one question remained: how exactly did Taylor Hawkins die?

Yesterday, the day after his passing, a cause of death had been issues by the Colombian healthcare services and authorities. A preliminary urine toxicology test indicated that Hawkins had ten substances in his system at time of death, the majority of them being central nervous system depressants, including opioids, benzodiazepines, tricyclic antidepressants, and THC, the psychoactive compound in cannabis, though it is not regarded a CNS-Depressant.

According to Mail Online, the autopsy report found Hawkins suffered cardiovascular collapse, after bingeing on heavy depressants. Forensic experts claimed his heart weighed ‘at least 600 grams’, double the healthy average of 300 to 350 grams, during an examination following his shock death.

Authorities had confirmed the official cause of death for the Foo Fighters to be an overdose of heroin, which was taken mixed with antidepressants including benzodiazepines, commonly referred to as ‘benzos’. 

Concerns about the drummer’s health first arose two nights ago on Friday night, when he began complaining about chest pains prior to the band’s headline performance at the Estereo Picnic Festival in Bogotá, on 25 March, 2022.

His condition then deteriorated, and, in a statement released late yesterday, Hawkins was found dead in his Bogota hotel room. Efforts to revive him by a private doctor and city emergency responders were unsuccessful.

The AGO stated it ‘will continue to investigate and will duly inform the findings of forensic examinations in due time’.