David Gail’s cause of death has been confirmed.
Gail, who died on Jan. 16 at age 58, died due to “complications from sudden cardiac arrest,” according to a release shared by a rep for his family.
After emergency personnel found the actor unresponsive, they attempted to save his life through CPR and defibrillation, the rep said. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to work and Gail was put on life support for several days before being pronounced dead.
“The family has no reason to suspect the cause of his death was anything but heart failure,” the rep stated in a release obtained by PEOPLE. “David will be remembered for his love of acting and his absolute passion and dedication to his friends and family. He possessed a unique quality that made everyone feel special in his presence.”
Gail’s sister, Kathryn “Katie” Colmenares, first announced the news of his death on Instagram Friday, remembering her brother as both her “wingman” and “best friend.”
“There’s barely been even a day in my life when you were not with me by my side always my wingman always my best friend ready to face anything and anyone w me,” Colmenares wrote, alongside a photo of the pair hugging each other.
“The bears will never be the same but I will hold you so tight every day in my heart you gorgeous loving amazing fierce human being missing you every second of every day forever there will never be another 💔💖.”
Gail, a Tampa, Florida, native, was born in 1965, according to his IMDB page. Some of his earlier credits include appearances on Growing Pains, Doogie Howser, M.D. and Murder, She Wrote in the early 1990s. The actor also played Stuart Carson, the fiancé of Shannen Doherty’s Brenda Walsh in Beverly Hills, 90210, and Dean Collins in the WB drama Savannah, but he made his mark as Dr. Joe Scanlon in more than 200 episodes of Port Charles.
In 2002, he appeared opposite Bradley Cooper and Colleen Porch in the rom-com Bending All the Rules. His other film appearances include 2004’s Perfect Opposites.
Gail’s last credit listed on IMDB is Blacksad: Under the Skin, an adventure game for Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch in which he voiced the character Sam.
Aaron Spelling Prod. / Courtesy: Everett Collection
Pete Ferriero, host and producer of the Beverly Hills 90210 Show podcast, also shared the news of Gail’s death, as he uploaded clips from Gail’s appearances on his show.
“In memory of David Gail. Here are a few stories he shared when he joined the podcast,” the podcast’s official Instagram account wrote on Saturday.
In a comment on Colmenares’ Instagram announcement, Ferriero remembered Gail as a “kind human.”
“He was filled of life and incredible stories,” he added. “I am grateful I got to know. I am so saddened for your loss, and the world’s loss. He was a gift to us all.”
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In the release shared on Monday, Gail’s mother Mary said of her son’s sudden death: “We are extremely touched by the outpouring of love from David’s dedicated fans and colleagues. We are grateful for all the support received during this very difficult time.”
Besides his mother and sister, Gail is survived by his son Guthier.