Inside Bob Saget’s last moments as doc reveals why cops think he fell in bathroom & how age was factor in death

A DOCTOR has revealed to The Sun why investigators believe Bob Saget slipped and fell in a bathroom before dying in bed at a Florida hotel last month.

The 65-year-old comic’s age also likely played a factor in the severity of head injuries he suffered in the fall, according to Dr. Anthony Harris, the CEO and Founder of HFit Health.

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Saget was found dead on January 9 after suffering “blunt head trauma” at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando, hours after performing a stand-up show.

The Full House alum suffered skull fractures so severe that some experts likened his injuries to those someone would sustain if they’d fallen from 30 feet or been struck around the head with a baseball bat.

Last week, investigators touted a theory that Saget may have hit his head on the headboard of his bed before losing consciousness and dying in his sleep.

However, a new report published by PEOPLE suggests that now investigators think Saget slipped and fell in the bathroom, striking the back of his head on the marble floor and temporarily losing consciousness, before climbing back into bed where he died.

The latest theory mirrors one shared by Dr. Harris to The Sun late last week.

‘VERY COMMON’

According to Harris, the bathroom is a “very common place to fall” and such accidents contribute to a number of the estimated 27 million traumatic brain injuries suffered worldwide each year.

Harris, like investigators, believes Saget slipped in the bathroom, striking the base of his skull on the hard bathroom floor before losing consciousness.

“When you come around after being knocked out, you’re not thinking normally, you’re not able to process things properly and quite often you’ll have difficulty walking, and difficulty with thoughts,” Harris explained.

“Right after he regained consciousness after that initial impact … he could have just got into bed [and lost consciousness again].”

As detailed by Harris, tiredness, confusion and lethargy are known symptoms after suffering a traumatic brain injury. This is otherwise known as being in a state of “altered sensorium.”

So getting back the bed after regaining consciousness would be something that someone who was alone, and not able to think with normal cognition, could very well do, he said.

Over time, while in a state of unconsciousness, Harris said the bleed on Saget’s brain led to it swelling to the point where he lost core function of the brainstem, causing his body to shut down.

“Unfortunately, he didn’t have anyone with him, because in terms of preventing these types of outcomes, having someone to monitor or watch you for any change in cognition, brain function, or helping to keep you awake is your best chance of survival,” Harris said.

“And in this case, unfortunately, Mr. Saget was alone.”

‘AGE A FACTOR’

The severity of the injuries suffered by Saget, Harris says, would require a “significant force” to fracture the thicker parts of the comic’s skull, making a hard fall on the marble floor of a bathroom the most likely explanation.

An autopsy report released earlier this month showed that Saget suffered an abrasion to his scalp, a fracture at the base of his skull, fractures around his eye sockets, and a bleed on his brain.

Harris previously suggested to The Sun that Saget may have actually hit his head twice before his death, possibly striking the front of his head on a cabinet or bath tub, with the force of that blow making him recoil and fall backwards onto the bathroom floor.

“That would account for both types of fractures that we’re seeing with Mr. Saget,” Harris said.

Another explanation for the severe nature of Saget’s injuries may lie with his age, according to Harris.

As humans get older, our skulls shrink, sink and slide around, researchers have previously found. The human brain also begins to shrink in size between the ages of 30 and 40, with the rate of shrinkage increasing when you reach age 60.

“With regard to Bob Saget, who was 65 at the time, obviously age does play a role in regards to the outcome of a brain injury,” Harris said.

“And certainly, we know that in this case it was favorable.”

FINAL MOMENTS

An investigation into Saget’s tragic death continues.

In the hours before, the beloved actor and comedian was said to be in high spirits, “cracking jokes [and] waiving to people in the lobby,” a hotel employee told PEOPLE.

“When people asked for selfies, he would run over and grab their phones to take the pictures with them, joking the whole time. He was a ball happy, positive energy,” they said.

The final time Saget was caught on surveillance camera, he was seen exiting an elevator on the ninth floor and walking down the hallway towards his room.

Investigators who have watched the footage told the outlet that nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and Saget showed no signs of distress.

He entered his room at 2.17am, having a “Do Not Disturb” sign on his door before stepping inside the door and locking it behind him.

Police believe Saget succumbed to his injuries sometime around 4.00am, approximately 12 hours before his body was found by hotel security.

FAMILY SUIT

Further details about the investigation into his death likely won’t be shared for some time, after Saget’s family filed a lawsuit last week requesting all materials linked to the case be kept confidential.

Saget’s widow, Kelly Rizzo, and his three daughters filed the suit against law enforcement in Orlando, citing privacy concerns.

They argued that such materials – including photos, video, and audio recordings – would cause them “irreparable harm in the form of extreme mental pain, anguish, and emotional distress,” if they were released. 

Orange County Circuit Court Judge Vincent Chiu agreed to temporarily halt the release of the documents, writing the court needed time to weigh the family’s “legitimate privacy interest against the public’s claim for disclosure.”

The injunction will remain in place until Chiu rules on the matter again.

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