x~Death in the Viper~x

In 1993, accomplished actor and guitarist, Johnny Depp, and business partner, Anthony Fox, launched The Viper Room. A successful club, The Viper Room invited celebrities and tourists from all over the world. Situated in Hollywood, California, The Viper has had her own share of shocking problems.

In October 1993, club regular River Phoenix, died from a drug overdose. A little before 1am on Halloween night, River was in the bathroom doing drugs with his friends. He was offered a snort of high-grade Persian Brown. Minutes after he had taken the drug, he started trembling and shaking. He shouted at the drug dealers before vomiting. Trying to help, one of the dealers gave him Valium-a strong depression drug.

River staggered out into the bar towards his sister, Rain, and ex-girlfriend and Christian Slater’s Broken Arrow Co-star, Samantha Mathis (right) Complaining about being unable to breathe, River passed out. Once he came around, he asked Mathis to take him outside the club for some fresh air. River's brother, Joaquin, who was a couple of days over 19 at the time, was helping him out when River collapsed in his arms, fell to the floor and had a series of seizures. Joaquin phoned 911 at 1.14am just as Rain threw herself on top of her brother in attempt to stop the attacks.

The paramedics arrived soon after River had slipped into full cardiac arrest. After performing CPR unsuccessfully, they rushed him to Cedars Sinai Medical Centre. They arrived at 1.34am and noticed that although River's skin was warm, it was a dark blue colour. And even though the ER Physicians had inserted a pacemaker, a small machine to help your heart beat, River didn't make it. He was pronounced dead at 1.51am.

An autopsy was performed showing lethal levels of cocaine, morphine (heroin shows up as morphine), valium, marijuana and ephedrine. The autopsy also showed: "small abrasions on the knuckles of the right index finger and the right thumb. On the shin there is a red-purple contusion."

On November 4th 1993, 60 mourners watched a once amazingly firm environmentalist and animal rights activist, in a blue coffin, wearing a black t-shirt with the Aleka's Attic (his band) logo on, being cremated and his ashes being scattered onto the family ranch near Gainesville.

A sign was left outside The Viper Room, as it closed, from the staff:

WITH MUCH RESPECT AND LOVE TO RIVER AND HIS FAMILY; THE VIPER ROOM IS TEMPORARILY CLOSED. OUR HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES TO ALL HIS FAMILY, FRIENDS AND LOVES ONES. HE WILL BE MISSED!

But The Viper was not the only one who was deeply traumatized by the death of River Phoenix. River's best friend, Keanu Reeves, who was filming Speed with Sandra Bullock at the time, actually stopped talking and many believed that he and River's brother Joaquin would die right with him. When interviewed, Reeves said:

RIVER WAS A REMARKABLE ARTIST AND A RARE HUMAN BEING. I MISS HIM EVERY DAY.

Many of us have forgotten River's uniqueness and this article was written both to remind you of that young Indiana Jones from 'The Last Crusade' but to remind you just how bad drugs can be and to beg you not to go the same was this fantastic person did. River had his problems and he didn't keep in mind that pain is the only road to happiness. He tried to solve his problems in another way that ended up taking his life away from him. Don't make the same mistake as many before you.

Encase you were curious to know, Johnny Depp's partner, Anthony Fox went missing and Depp was forced to sign The Viper Room over to Anthony's 19 year old daughter, Amanda. There are now rumours that Amanda is planning to sell.

By Gurpreet Kaur Sihat