Coroner: Alcohol, Valium contributed to drowning of William Shatner's wife

LOS ANGELES - Alcohol and the sedative Valium contributed to the drowning of William Shatner's wife, according to the coroner's autopsy findings released Tuesday.

The cause of Nerine Shatner's death on Aug. 8 was ''drowning associated with neck trauma'' and was accidental, spokesman Scott Carrier said. Contributing factors were the presence of alcohol and Valium, the report said.

Mrs. Shatner suffered a broken neck when she dove or fell into the pool as a result of being in an intoxicated state, the autopsy said. Her blood-alcohol level was 0.28 percent, more than three times the level at which a driver is legally intoxicated under California law.

Mrs. Shatner was alone at the couple's Studio City estate when she drowned.

Police Detective Mike Coffey said earlier there was no evidence of foul play.

Shatner, the star of ''Star Trek'' and former host of ''Rescue 911,'' returned home and saw his 40-year-old wife's body at the bottom of the pool. He dove in but he was unable to resuscitate her, authorities said.

The Shatners had been married two years. He filed for divorce last Oct. 21, citing irreconcilable differences. But they had reconciled, said Pam Loar, Nerine Shatner's agent at L.A. Talent.

Shatner married Nerine Kidd in November 1997 in a private Pasadena ceremony. It was Shatner's third marriage.