Jacko was 'not breathing at all'

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/2501914/Michael-Jacksons-last-moments.html

Emergency ... paramedics' monitor shows Jacko - a '50 year old male' - was 'not breathing at all' when the 911 call was received
By PETE SAMSON US Editor and NICK PARKER Chief Foreign Correspondent
6-26-9

PARAMEDICS dashed to dying Michael Jackson’s side after a panic-stricken phone call from the superstar’s Los Angeles home.

The dramatic call was made by a member of staff last night at just after 8pm UK time.

Fire Department medics responded to the alert and arrived to find the 50-year-old singer collapsed and not breathing. He had suffered a cardiac arrest.

The emergency staff rushed him to hospital in their vehicle, where a computer screen revealed chilling details of his condition.

A record of the call-out read: “50 year old male Not breathing at all.” It gave the time of the call-out as 12.21pm local time.

Medics administered heart massage and oxygen along the route. But they could not revive the star.

Jacko’s family were informed and rushed to his bedside as weeping fans began massing outside the city’s UCLA Medical Centre.

There were screams of “You’ve got to save him, you’ve got to save him” as the star was stretchered in.

Mum Katherine made it to the hospital shortly after her son, although his father Joe was in Las Vegas when told the news. Close pal Elizabeth Taylor also rushed to the hospital to say her goodbyes.

Finally a doctor appeared and told shocked relatives and aides that all efforts to restart his heart had failed and that he had died.

Sister La Toya was seen running into the hospital sobbing after her brother was pronounced dead.

Los Angeles County Coroner Fred Corell last night confirmed that Jackson had died of heart failure at 2.26pm local time.

Last night it was suspected his collapse could have been caused by an overdose of painkillers.

An Emergency Room source at UCLA hospital said Jackson aides told medics he had collapsed after an injection of potent Demerol — similar to morphine.

A Jacko source said: “Shortly after taking the Demerol he started to experience slow shallow breathing.

“His breathing gradually got slower and slower until it stopped.

“His staff started mouth-to-mouth and an ambulance was called which got there in eight minutes “But found he was in full respiratory arrest, no breathing and no pulse. They started full CPR and rushed him to hospital.

“When he arrived they started resuscitation, giving him heart shocks and inserted a breathing tube and other supportive measures to try and save his life.

“He never regained consciousness.The family was told that he had passed.”

As news spread of Jackson’s death, thousands of fans gathered outside the hospital.

Many were dressed in the eccentric singer’s trademark costumes and others blasted out his smash-hit tunes.

Family lawyer Brian Oxman said the star collapsed at his rented home in LA’s Holmby Hills area while brother Randy was present.

Los Angeles City Fire Department confirmed the emergency call was made from Jackson’s home.

“The call came in because a person was not breathing,” said a spokesman.

“When the team arrived, they saw that CPR was already in progress by someone at the home.

“The person not breathing was transported to UCLA Medical Centre.”

Other stunned family members said that Jackson, who was due to begin a series of comeback concerts at London’s O2 arena next month, “was in really bad shape”.

The singer had been staying at the LA house while he rehearsed for his comeback tour.

More than 750,000 tickets had been sold for the former King of Pop’s “This is It” concerts.

The opening dates were postponed last month after concert promoters AIG said Jackson needed more time to rehearse the complex dance routines.

But after The Sun revealed that he was suffering from skin cancer there were fears that he was not fit enough to complete the tour.

Experts found spots of skin cancer on his upper body and pre-cancerous cells on his face.

Jacko’s close pal Uri Geller was “too upset for words” last night.

He said: “The whole world is absolutely devastated and I am lost for words because everyone expected him to come to England to do his concerts.

“He was in good health. He was rehearsing, dancing, practising for the shows in England and I am shocked, that is all I can say.”

Jacko had been blighted by a string of past health problems — including rumoured heart trouble.
But he had vowed to perform his £150million comeback gigs.

He is survived by three children: Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr, Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince “Blanket” Michael Jackson II.

p.samson@the-sun.co.uk