‘Storm Chasers’ Star Joel Taylor Cause of Death: MDMA, Ketamine Poisoning

Lab results for Storm Chasers star Joel Taylor, who died in January, determined that he died from an accidental overdose, The Blast reports.

The Bureau of Forensic Sciences of Puerto Rico told the news outlet that after a “meticulous review,” it was determined Taylor’s cause of death was a deadly mix of MDMA (ecstasy) and “tricyclic antidepressants.”

Among the drugs reportedly found in Taylor’s system were ecstasy, ketamine, zolpidem and MDA, which is a derivative of amphetamines.

Taylor, 38, was aboard the Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas when he was found dead after a night of partying.

Back in January, when a drug overdose was suspected, the FBI reportedly launched an investigation into the circumstances of Taylor’s death and how drugs got onto the ship and who may have supplied them. TMZ reports that several arrests were made in Fort Lauderdale prior to boarding for drug possession.

Police had previously stated that a drug overdose was suspected to have caused his death after it was reported that Taylor had consumed GHB during a party aboard the ship. A passenger who interacted with him said he had eventually passed out and was taken off the dance floor and back to his cabin by two people.

At the time of his death, Taylor had been on a week-long voyage aboard the ship, which departed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Saturday, Jan. 20. He died Jan. 22 while the vessel was docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Tests reportedly took so long because the lab testing machines in Puerto Rico broke, and Taylor’s samples had to be sent to the U.S. for analysis. Taylor has since been buried in his hometown of Elk City, Oklahoma.

Taylor appeared on the Discovery Channel series from 2008 up until its 2012 cancellation. Storm Chasers was filmed annually in the area known as Tornado Alley, where meteorologists study the most frequent and severe storms and tornadoes in the central part of the country.

Taylor was mourned by many Storm Chaser co-stars and fans, including his friend Reed Timmer, who appeared on the show with him and dedicated a message to him on Twitter at the time of his death.

“RIP my best friend and storm chasing partner, Joel Taylor. I am shocked and absolutely devastated by the loss of my incredible, caring friend. We chased so many intense storms, and I wish we could have just one more storm chase. I’ll miss you forever, Joel. We lost a legend,” Timmer tweeted along with a series of photos of the pair while storm chasing.