Police: Whitney Houston Was ‘Underwater,’ ‘Unconscious’ In Bathtub When Discovered

Authorities confirmed on Monday that Whitney Houston was submerged in a bathtub when she was first discovered on Saturday afternoon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

“She was underwater and apparently unconscious,” the Beverly Hills Police Department confirmed in a release on Monday. “Ms. Houston was pulled from the tub by members of her staff and hotel security was promptly notified.”

When Fire Department personnel arrived on the scene, first responders “observed Whitney Houston to still be unconscious and unresponsive,” a release read.

“They initiated CPR, but were unable to revive her. At approximately 3:55 PM, Whitney Houston, age 48 was pronounced dead at the scene,” the release continued.

In related news, at a press conference in Los Angeles on Monday, L.A. County Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter told reporters that it is still too early to determine a cause of death.

“It’s too early to say,” Winter said when asked whether they’d ruled out drowning in the Houston case. “We don’t know. The autopsy was done yesterday and there’s still testing that is ongoing.”

When asked about Houston’s death – and in particular – how long her body had been in the bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel when she was discovered on Saturday afternoon, Winter said “within an hour.”

“She was seen within an hour by somebody… family or somebody at the hotel — and then she was discovered,” he said.

Winter said the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office was doing routine toxicology tests, the results of which will influence the determination of Houston’s exact cause of death.

When asked if Houston’s body could be released on Monday, Winter said it depended on the family.

Houston is expected to be laid to rest in the town she was born in — Newark, New Jersey — later this week, sources told WNBC New York.

According to sources working with the family, arrangements are currently being worked out and her body could be flown in from Los Angeles as early as Monday, WNBC reported.

The station reported that Whigham Funeral Home will handle the ceremony, however, when reached by Access Hollywood on Monday, the establishment would not confirm – or deny — the report.

The services of Lee Warrick, mother of Dionne Warwick, were also held at the Whigham Funeral Home in August 2005, a service Houston attended.

Dionne Warwick – Houston’s cousin — has postponed a concert planned for Tuesday in Pennsylvania, following her cousin’s death.