A final incident report from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Florida could not determine what caused the accidental head injury that killed Bob Saget, although the report ruled out foul play.
The former “Full House” star was found dead in an Orlando hotel room on Jan. 9 at age 65. Saget's death came a day after he performed a standup comedy set in Jacksonville.
The report, which was obtained by NBC News on Tuesday, cited an autopsy conducted by Chief Medical Examiner Joshua Stephany, M.D., in January that determined that Saget suffered a fracture at the base of his skull, bleeding around the brain and multiple broken orbital bones at the front of his skull prior to his death.
The autopsy findings indicated that "the amount of force necessary to cause the fracture, coupled with the fact that the skin on the back of the head was still intact, led (Stephany) to believe that the injury was most likely caused by 'something hard, covered by something soft.'"
The medical examiner suggested "a fall onto a carpeted floor" as an example of the type of accident that could have fatally injured Saget.
The report stated, "Dr. Stephany stated that the fracture would have stunned Mr. Saget, and, even if the bleeding occurred slowly, Mr. Saget would have noticed symptoms such as dizziness, and there would have signs that were obvious to those around him, such as issues with confusion, balance, and/or slurred speech."
The medical examiner stated that he believed Saget sustained the head wound "probably within hours of his death, possibly within a day or two, depending on several medical factors.”
However, Saget “would have exhibited significant signs that something was wrong."
The autopsy also found that Saget tested positive for COVID-19 at the time of his death.
After Dr. Stephany completed his autopsy, Saget’s hotel room was re-examined to try to determine how the late comedian might have sustained his head injury. The examination produced no "definitive conclusion."
“The countertops, tables, nightstands, and other hard furniture in the room all had sharply defined edges and corners and were thought to be unlikely due to the fact that they would have lacerated the skin,” the report stated.
“The counters in the bathroom and the shower stall were ruled out for the same reason. Most of the chairs and couches were thickly upholstered and were too soft to have caused the type and extent of injury Mr. Saget suffered," it continued.
“As mentioned earlier, most of the suite was carpeted. The headboard of the bed was lightly padded and set slightly out from the wall. These are listed here as possible mechanisms of injury, but nothing was located in the room that allows for a definitive conclusion," the report added.
Following the report's filing on Tuesday, Brian Bieber, attorney for the Saget family, told NBC News in a statement, "The incident report makes clear that Mr. Saget passed away following an unexpected and tragic accident in his hotel room. The investigation has been closed."
The report was filed a day after a Florida judge permanently blocked the release of certain investigation records related to Saget’s death.
The decision comes nearly a month after the late comedian's family — including his widow, Kelly Rizzo, and his three adult daughters, Lara, Aubrey and Jennifer Saget — filed a lawsuit to keep the records sealed, citing privacy concerns.