INDIANAPOLIS — Colts owner Jim Irsay was found unconscious and struggling to breathe before being transported to a hospital by paramedics last month following a suspected overdose, according to a police report obtained by ESPN.
Irsay was found lying in bed and was cold to the touch when emergency personnel reached him on the morning of Dec. 8, according to the report provided by Carmel, Indiana, police. An officer wrote in the report that Irsay's pulse was “weak and slow.”
Radio traffic accessed by ESPN indicated that fire rescue personnel were dispatched to the Irsay address around 4:32 a.m. for a report of an “unconscious person.”
Irsay received a dose of Narcan, a medication used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, from the first police officers to arrive at the scene, according to the report, and “responded mildly” before paramedics transported him to a hospital. .
Officers noted several different medications that had been prescribed to Irsay, but noted that it was initially unclear what exact substance he had taken before being found in danger. Specific medications were removed from the report for privacy reasons.
The incident was first reported by TMZ.com on Wednesday morning.
The Colts, who last week revealed that Irsay was dealing with a “serious respiratory illness,” declined to offer a specific response, but issued a statement Wednesday saying: “Mr. Irsay continues to recover from his respiratory illness. We will not more comments on this.” his personal health and we continue to ask that the privacy of Jim and his family be respected.”
The chronology of recent editions of Irsay is unclear. Irsay has not been seen publicly in recent weeks. But ESPN confirmed that she attended the Colts' Dec. 16 home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, eight days after the emergency at her home.
The team had answered numerous questions about Irsay's health and whereabouts in the weeks since, and Colts officials consistently stated that there would be no comment on personal matters.
Last week, the team changed course when it released the statement about Irsay's respiratory illness, saying it would prevent him from attending an Irsay Collection exhibition and concert in Los Angeles.
“He is receiving excellent care and hopes to return to the stage as soon as possible,” the statement read. Later that week, general manager Chris Ballard said Irsay is “stable and they're working on it.” He declined to give further details.
Irsay, 64, has a long history of addiction and has admitted to using opioids and other drugs in the past. He revealed in a November interview with HBO Sports that he had been to rehab “at least 15 times.” He also said he had a near-fatal incident years ago, saying he went into “code blue” and had to be revived.
In the past, Irsay has said that his addiction to painkillers stems from their use after a series of surgeries over the years. Irsay has undergone several procedures for years-long shoulder and hip injuries that have had a significant impact on his mobility.
The Irsay family's successful Kicking the Stigma campaign launched in 2020 as an extension of Irsay's candor about addiction and mental health. The organization has distributed more than $25 million in grants to entities in the mental health field.
ESPN reporter Paula Lavigne contributed to this report.
