NBA Champion Elden Campbell’s Body Was Found After Washing Up on Florida Shore, 911 Audio Reveals: Report

Newly released 911 audio reveals that a man phoned in an emergency after discovering what appeared to be the body of former NBA star Elden Campbell washed up on a Florida beach earlier this month, according to TMZ.

Campbell died in what his family described as a fishing tragedy in Pompano Beach, Florida, on Dec. 1. He was 57.

In the 911 call obtained by TMZ on Friday, Dec. 5, the caller reports seeing something in the water that “looks like a human body” on the shore.

“It looks like a dead person on the floor,” the caller tells the operator in the recording.

According to the outlet, police later located Campbell’s body next to a jet ski along the beach at around 8 p.m. local time. The retired NBA big man was pronounced dead minutes later by first responders.

A separate 911 dispatch recording confirms that emergency crews were sent to Pompano Beach at that time for what was initially reported as a suspected case of cardiac arrest. The dispatcher later notes that the individual was found deceased.

Authorities in Broward County subsequently ruled Campbell’s official cause of death as drowning, according to Thomas Steinkamp, chief of investigative services for the county.

The former NBA champion — who shared the court with Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant during his time with the Los Angeles Lakers — is survived by his wife, Rosemary; his four children, Jay Lee, Jael, Ariel and Aaron; and his siblings: sister Sandra and brothers Elwayne and Charles Jr., according to the NBA.

On Wednesday, Dec. 3, Sandra told the New York Post that her brother had spent the day fishing before he died. “It was all of a sudden,” she said. “He wasn’t sick. He was out fishing.”

She added that her brother “was such a big pillar and a staple to our family,” saying, “He’s going to be terribly missed.”

The 7-foot power forward spent nine seasons with his hometown Lakers, who selected him 27th overall in the first round of the 1990 NBA Draft after his college career at Clemson University.

The Los Angeles native went on to play for several other NBA teams, including the Charlotte and New Orleans Hornets, Seattle SuperSonics, Detroit Pistons and New Jersey Nets.

Campbell retired after the 2004–05 season, finishing with 10,805 career points and 6,116 rebounds. He won an NBA championship in 2004 with the Detroit Pistons, defeating his former team, the Lakers, in the Finals.

In the days since his death, numerous former teammates and colleagues have shared tributes and memories honoring Campbell’s life and legacy.