Wow is right. I honestly didn't know what to say when I saw that a little while ago. Tragic is probably the right word. He obviously battled some things for a long time. Speechless really...
I was in his presence at a Paul Westerberg show at the El Rey in Hollywood, 1996. He and Schwimmer stayed behind the ropes in a VIP section with security. I don't blame them, that was around the height of the Friends frenzy.
In contrast, George Wendt was holding court at the bar and was engaging with the fans, having a blast.
I was never a big "Friends" fan. I did like his work on "The West Wing." he showed he could play serious characters.
this is just speculation, but I read that he had been playing Pickleball for 2 hours before he came home and got into the jacuzzi. If he had a heart attack or some other type of medical incident, he could have lost consciousness and that could have led to his drowning.
I hope it wasn't a drug or alcohol relapse, but with his history, people are going to look at that possibility.