Liam Payne 911 call: full transcript as hotel alerted emergency services

A recording has emerged of a 911 call placed by staff at Liam Payne’s hotel in Buenos Aires, apparently alerting Argentinian authorities to the former One Direction singer’s erratic behavior shortly before he fell from a third-floor balcony, leading to his death at the age of 31.

“Heavily under the influence”

In the call, which lasts about a minute, an official at the Casa Sur Palermo hotel reveals that a guest is “heavily under the influence of drugs and alcohol”. He adds that staff are concerned for the individual’s safety, given that he is staying in a room with a balcony.

The 911 call unfolds as follows:

Dispatcher: 911, what’s your emergency?

Caller: Hello, I’m calling you from the Casa Sur Palermo hotel, at 6032 Costa Rica street.

Dispatcher: What’s happening at your location, sir?

Caller: Well, we have a guest who is heavily under the influence of drugs and alcohol. And when he’s conscious he’s breaking, he’s breaking everything in his room. We need you to send someone, please.

Dispatcher: He’s under the influence of alcohol and narcotics. Is that right, sir?

Caller: Yes, that’s right. And we need you to send someone urgently. Because I don’t know whether the guest’s life is in danger. He’s in a room that has a balcony, and, well, we’re a little bit afraid that he’ll do something that puts himself at risk.

Dispatcher: How many nights has the guest been staying with you? Or is he a long-term resident?

Caller: No, no, he’s been a guest here for two or three days.

Dispatcher: You don’t have any [further] details because you can’t get in[to his room], right?

Caller: No.

Dispatcher: We‘ll notify the SAME [Buenos Aires’ ambulance service], too... They’re now notified.

Payne in Buenos Aires with ex-One Direction bandmate

Payne’s death, which occurred at around 5pm local time, was confirmed by the SAME, after officers from local police precinct responded to the hotel following the emergency call.

The Wolverhampton native was a member of the boy band One Direction from its formation in 2010 until 2016, when the group went on an indefinite hiatus. The group, which released five studio albums, had sold more than 50 million records worldwide by the time it separated, according to Billboard.

Payne was in Buenos Aires with Niall Horan, one of his fellow former One Direction members, who performed in the Argentinian capital earlier this month.

After One Direction, Payne went on to carve out a successful solo career. He released one studio album, LP1, three EPs and 14 singles. His 2017 solo single “Strip That Down” reached No. 10 in the US Billboard Hot 100.