South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham’s final moments involved a call to his scheduler for urgent help, Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville said Monday. Tuberville told reporters that a scheduler for Graham received a phone call Saturday night in which Graham reported chest pains and asked for immediate action. Tuberville said the scheduler asked whether Graham had already called 911, and Graham replied that she was the reason he was calling, implying 911 had not yet been contacted. The scheduler then contacted emergency services, after which emergency personnel arrived at Graham’s residence and began working on him, including breaking into the home to access him.
Tuberville’s account clarifies how emergency services were notified shortly before Graham’s unexpected death was reported. Both outlets also reference that Graham died from an aortic dissection linked to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, according to information attributed to his office. Earlier reporting had described a 911 call after 8 p.m. Saturday and emergency responders performing CPR roughly 25 minutes after the first dispatch, though specific timelines vary by account.