Matthew Perry’s body wasn’t submerged for long before paramedics declared him dead, police say

Last year, while promoting his memoir, 'Friends, Lovers, And The Big Terrible Thing', Matthew Perry said he hoped to be remembered for how he helped others more than how he charmed the world on-screen. Photo: AP

Actor Matthew Perry’s body was not waterlogged when paramedics found him dead in his hot tub Saturday, according to law enforcement sources.

That means the 54-year-old Friends star, who was alone when he died at his Pacific Palisades residence, was not submerged for long by the time first responders made it to the scene, as TMZ was told.

Perry’s assistant, whom he’d sent on an errand after he played pickleball earlier that day, arrived to the residence to find him unresponsive. An official cause of death has not yet been determined.

While a toxicology report will not be ready for a minimum of six weeks, no illegal substances were found at the residence of the five-time Emmy nominee, who had been candid about his history with alcoholism and substance abuse.

Authorities did discover prescription anti-depressants and anti-anxiety drugs, as well as a medication for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which affects breathing. Nicorette patches and gum were also found, implying that Perry, who was a longtime smoker, was attempting to quit.

The Los Angeles County medical examiner on Sunday listed his autopsy status as “deferred.”

Last year, while promoting his memoir, Friends, Lovers, And The Big Terrible Thing, Perry said he hoped to be remembered for how he helped others more than how he charmed the world on-screen.

“The best thing about me, bar none, is if somebody comes up to me and says, ‘I can’t stop drinking, can you help me?’ I can say yes and follow up and do it,” he told Q With Tom Power last November. “I don’t want Friends to be the first thing that’s mentioned. I want that to be the first thing that’s mentioned, and I’m going to live the rest of my life proving that.”

Perry’s Friends co-stars and real life friends — Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer — released a joint statement Monday.

“We were more than just castmates. We are a family,” the “utterly devastated” stars said in the statement, obtained by People. – New York Daily News/Tribune News Service