PAC’s cause of death has finally been revealed weeks after the AEW star was found unresponsive inside a rental car near Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
The New York Post reported on October 16 that the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office determined Benjamin Satterley, better known to wrestling fans as PAC, died from bronchial asthma. His manner of death was officially ruled natural.
A spokesperson for the medical examiner’s office confirmed the finding following the investigation into Satterley’s sudden September 27 death. The ruling brings an answer to a case that had remained open while officials waited on additional testing following the initial autopsy.
For those not aware, Bronchial asthma is a chronic condition that affects the airways leading into the lungs. During an asthma attack, those airways can become inflamed, tighten and produce additional mucus, making it increasingly difficult for a person to breathe. Severe attacks can cause oxygen levels to drop rapidly and, in rare cases, can become fatal if airflow becomes restricted enough. Symptoms can include shortness of breath, wheezing, chest tightness and coughing, although a serious attack can sometimes progress very quickly.
Satterley was discovered unconscious inside a rental vehicle outside a CAVA restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois, at around 4 p.m. on September 27. First responders rushed to the scene and attempted life-saving measures, but the 40-year-old wrestler was pronounced dead at approximately 4:08 p.m.
The circumstances surrounding his death immediately raised questions because there were no obvious signs of trauma or foul play. Police noted that Satterley had saliva on the front of his shirt, while medication was also found inside the vehicle. The specific medication was redacted from the publicly released incident report.
His phone provided another look at what he had been doing before his death. Google Maps was still open with directions to Chicago O’Hare International Airport, where Satterley was preparing to catch a flight back to the United Kingdom.
A woman who spoke with police said Satterley had planned to stop at CAVA for lunch before heading to the airport after his flight had been delayed. The 911 call later revealed just how suddenly the situation unfolded. The woman who found Satterley said his vehicle was still running while he remained completely unresponsive inside.
“We’ve been banging on the window for I want to say, like, five minutes now. His face is, like, straight down. Apparently their eyes are open, too. I don’t see his chest moving at all.”
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office performed an autopsy shortly after Satterley’s death but did not immediately announce a cause. Officials said additional testing was needed before a final determination could be made. That delay led to plenty of questions about what examiners were looking for, but the final ruling now makes clear that Satterley died from bronchial asthma and that his death was natural.
Satterley had been in the Chicago area for AEW All Out and wrestled Andrade the night before his death. His sudden passing stunned the wrestling world, with AEW, WWE and numerous wrestlers paying tribute to him in the days that followed.
PAC’s death remained one of wrestling’s biggest unanswered stories for nearly three weeks, but the medical examiner has now closed the biggest question surrounding what happened. The official ruling is bronchial asthma, with the manner of death listed as natural.
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