Presley Gerber’s death sparks questions about overdose, withdrawal and rehab safety

Presley Gerber’s death at age 27 has renewed questions about overdose risk, withdrawal complications and the challenges of addiction recovery.

The son of model Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber died Sunday at a California rehabilitation facility, according to Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office records.

Presley's death was confirmed by his mother’s representative to Fox News Digital, who shared a statement from the family: "The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time." CINDY CRAWFORD’S SON PRESLEY GERBER SAID HE WAS ‘TERRIFIED’ IN RAW ADDICTION POST MONTHS BEFORE DEATH AT 27 While an official cause of death has not yet been confirmed, audio recordings obtained by People suggest that police received a 911 call Sunday morning reporting a cardiac arrest at a facility in the 1000 block of Berkeley Street.

A separate dispatch identified the response as a potential overdose.

The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office later confirmed that an autopsy had been completed, but the cause of death remained undetermined pending further testing.

Gerber had spoken publicly over the years about his struggles with substance use and mental health .

Nicholas Kardaris, Ph.D., CEO and chief clinical officer of the New York Center for Living in Manhattan and a clinical professor at Stony Brook Medicine’s School of Social Welfare, spoke with Fox News Digital about what families should know about relapse, overdose risk and seeking help for a loved one.

As Gerber’s official cause of death has not yet been released, Kardaris — who has not treated Presley Gerber and is not connected to the case — cautioned against drawing conclusions from the fact that he died at a rehabilitation facility.

Possible explanations could include an acute medical or cardiac event, an undiagnosed condition or a medication-related complication, he said.

ARRESTS IN MATTHEW PERRY'S DEATH PUT SPOTLIGHT ON KETAMINE DANGERS People in residential treatment facilities may have complex medical histories , and some conditions may not be immediately apparent when someone enters a program.

"Younger people can sometimes die suddenly, and we don’t know whether they had an underlying medical issue," Kardaris said.

"It’s not impossible to have a medication-related event, particularly if someone has an underlying heart disorder, " he continued.

"Certain medications can trigger a cardiac episode." Entering treatment does not necessarily mean that a person’s issues have been resolved or that no danger exists, Kardaris emphasized.

"People are in rehab because they’re struggling with addiction.