Emergency workers spent three hours attempting to revive model Presley Gerber after he was found unresponsive at a rehabilitation centre in California on Sunday, according to US media reports.

The 27-year-old son of supermodel Cindy Crawford and businessman Rande Gerber was pronounced dead by paramedics at 09:45 local time on Sunday, 20 September, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner confirmed in a statement. Santa Monica police are investigating his death, with emergency dispatch audio obtained by US celebrity outlet Page Six referring to a "cardiac arrest" and "overdose".

Sources told US entertainment website TMZ that Gerber's family have been told his death was the result of an apparent overdose. Gerber had reportedly checked himself into the Santa Monica treatment centre over the weekend after recognising he needed help, and had been staying in a sober living house on the property alongside several other residents.

A source told the US Sun that investigators do not suspect foul play, though an official cause of death has not yet been established pending toxicology tests. Allie Jenkins, a representative for Crawford and Gerber, told the BBC's US partner CBS News: "The family is asking for privacy during this very difficult and painful time."

Like his mother and his younger sister Kaia, Gerber built a career in the fashion industry from a young age. He made his runway debut for Moschino at 16, later modelling for major fashion houses including Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana, and Bottega Veneta. His father is also known for co-founding the Casamigos tequila brand alongside George Clooney.

Gerber frequently collaborated with his family. In 2018, he appeared alongside his sister in a Calvin Klein campaign—having previously had her name tattooed on his arm—and starred with his mother in a Pepsi Super Bowl advert, 26 years after Crawford's original 1992 commercial for the brand.

In recent years, Gerber spoke candidly about his mental health and drug use. Appearing on the Studio 22 podcast in 2023, he said: "Having struggled with mental health, depression and some other things that come along with that, I think that whether I help one person or a hundred people get out of that place that I was in at one point in my life, that's all I need to do." In March, he documented his efforts to seek treatment on social media, referencing an experimental therapy for substance abuse.

His sister Kaia also reflected on his addiction in American Vogue, saying: "When something like that happens in a family, it kind of levels everyone." Following the news, figures from the fashion and entertainment worlds paid tribute, with socialite Paris Hilton describing him as "such a beautiful soul".

As Santa Monica police and coroner officials continue their inquiries, I will update this report as further details emerge.