A hotel guest who was present during the tragic fall of One Direction singer Liam Payne continues to be haunted by the events surrounding the musician’s death.
Bret Watson was staying at the CasaSur Palermo hotel in Buenos Aires for his wedding in mid-October. On October 16, he and his wedding planner were on the first floor of the hotel when they witnessed the devastating moment when Payne fell from a third-floor balcony. Payne, 31, tragically passed away from multiple injuries and internal and external hemorrhages, according to the preliminary autopsy report.
In an interview with TMZ, Watson revealed that he had noticed Payne becoming increasingly intoxicated and erratic as the day went on. He described seeing hotel staff carry Payne from the lobby to his room, using his arms and legs to transport him. Not long after, Payne was left alone in the room, and shortly thereafter, Watson witnessed him falling.
Watson and his wedding planner rushed to the balcony after seeing Payne fall. They were able to immediately identify him, as he landed on his back and face-up. Watson recalled, “We could tell right away that it was Liam, and he was motionless.” He described the moment as feeling like time had slowed down. “It is true that this took place,” he said, still processing the horror of the situation.
What haunted Watson most, however, was not just witnessing the fall, but hearing the sound of Payne’s body hitting the ground. “First, it is heartbreaking to witness anyone fall like that, but hearing the impact on the ground was more haunting than actually seeing it,” Watson said. The memory of that moment, he added, would stay with him forever.
A hotel visitor who was staying at the hotel at the time also recalled disturbing sounds coming from Payne’s room in the days following the incident. The visitor described hearing loud, violent screams and initially mistaking them for construction noise. Later, the visitor saw hotel workers going in and out of Payne’s room, creating more noise, around 4:30 p.m. that day. The police arrived just after 5 p.m., and Payne was reported dead shortly thereafter.
In the aftermath of Payne’s death, the National Criminal and Correctional Prosecutor’s Office of Argentina issued a statement revealing that three individuals had been detained and prosecuted in connection with the singer’s death. The suspects are accused of supplying and distributing drugs and abandoning Payne, whose condition may have led to his passing due to their actions.