Unknown injuries, substance abuse, and personal belongings at the bottom of the
ocean floor. From his vital role in forming one of America's biggest bands to how he died, keep
watching to find out what other tragic details were found in Dennis Wilson’s autopsy report.
Bands hailing from the United States and Great Britain dominated the music industry
in the 1960s. The Beatles practically took over the United States when they arrived in 1964,
setting off Beatlemania and changing the musical landscape for good.
As far as American bands of the same period go, one of the most successful was The Beach Boys.
The band was made up of brothers Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson,
their cousin Mike Love, and friend Al Jardine. Together they were responsible for iconic singles
such as "Surfin' U.S.A." and "Good Vibrations," as well as their legendary 1966 album Pet Sounds.
The band wasn't without its turmoil and tragedy, however. Take, for example,
the 1983 drowning death of founding drummer Dennis Wilson. On December 28th,
1983, Wilson was found dead in about 12 feet of water near Marina Del Rey, part of Los Angeles.
The day of his death, Wilson had been on a boat called The Emerald with its owner and two women.
They reported that Wilson had jumped into the water at around 4:25 p.m. local time.
At the time, Wilson was estranged from his wife, Shawn Marie Love, the 19-year-old daughter
of his cousin and bandmate Mike Love. Years earlier she had thrown some of his personal
effects off of his boat and into the water in the same area. According to his autopsy,
Wilson was trying to retrieve these items when he drowned. He was just 39 years old.
Wilson was by all accounts comfortable in water; indeed, he was the only Beach Boy
who could actually surf. The day of his death, he reportedly made several dives before he drowned,
with the autopsy report mentioning that he had been successful in finding some
of the items he was searching for. Wilson was wearing a face mask while he was in the water,
though he wasn't using a snorkel. He popped above water following one dive
and told his friend that he had spotted a large box on the ocean floor and that he needed a rope
to bring it to the surface. His friend obliged and Wilson disappeared to retrieve the box.
After some time, Wilson hadn't surfaced. His friends were concerned but thought that
he may have simply resurfaced elsewhere. They looked for him for around 15 minutes,
but when they had no luck they called the authorities.
Harbor Patrol went about combing through the water for the drummer, and within 30 minutes
they discovered Wilson's lifeless body and brought it to the surface at approximately 5:15 p.m.
The autopsy report lists Wilson as an "unembalmed, Caucasian male measuring 72 inches in length and
weighing 168 pounds." It also described his hair as light brown with some gray and that he was
unshaven at the time, with stubble measuring approximately an eighth of an inch. The only
unusual detail was that it was late December when Wilson died, and according to the autopsy he was
swimming in somewhat cold water, which around the time of his death was found to be just 58 degrees.
The autopsy report mentions that Wilson had clear injuries to the face when he
was pulled out of the water, and while it would seem like a natural conclusion
to assume that these were sustained while he was underwater, this probably wasn't the case.
On Christmas Day, 1983, Wilson had attempted to meet with his estranged wife at a nearby hotel.
Wilson had recently left a hospital where he'd been seeking detox treatments. However,
the final sentence of the "Circumstances" section of the autopsy states:
"The Sheriff's investigator gave the impression that there was fairly heavy
alcohol consumption in the days preceding the decedent's death."
As recording engineer John Hanlon later said:
"I just think he got hit with the demons, and, you know, he spiraled."
Wilson was allegedly drunk when he ran into one of his wife's male friends. Wilson wound up picking
a fight with the man, who promptly beat him up. It's noted in the autopsy report that the injuries
appeared to have not been capable of causing Wilson's death — damage to his chin, nose, and
above his left eye, all of which are consistent with what he reportedly suffered in the fight.
Wilson had his struggles with substance abuse. The musician had been introduced to heroin while
Charles Manson was staying at his Sunset Strip apartment. The toxicology portion of Wilson's
autopsy lists several substances found in the late drummer's body at the time of his death.
Wilson was found to have alcohol in his system, with a blood alcohol level of 0.26%.
For reference, 0.08% is the legal limit in most of the United States.
Also found in Wilson's blood were barbiturates, codeine, and morphine,
among others. The report makes the case that, while not confirmed,
it seems as though the substances in Wilson's system could have been a factor in his drowning.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, please call the Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Administration 24/7 National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).