The cause of death of a young Irish woman who died on a yacht in East Hampton, New York is still being investigated by police.
Martha Nolan' O'Slatarra's unresponsive body was discovered on a boat docked at the Montauk Yacht Club at 12am (5am Irish time) on Tuesday. Despite attempts at CPR from Good Samaritans, she could not be revived and was pronounced dead by first responders.
Those in the area reportedly heard screaming just before her body was discovered.
While her cause of death has not been announced, a post-mortem has shown no evidence of violence.
The news comes as Martha's mother has spoken of how she is 'numb with shock.'
The ordeal of breaking the tragic news to Martha's parents fell on the shoulders of their youngest daughter, Jacqui, and Elma spoke of how she was crying and shaking as she arrived at their house on Tuesday night to tell them the 'terrible news.'
Her family, who hail from Monacurragh on the edge of Carlow town, are utterly devastated and struggling to understand what happened to their daughter and have been told that the full post-mortem could take months.
'I don't know what happened to my daughter,' her mother, Elma, told The Irish Independent.
A phone conversation with a detective investigating the case failed to shed any light on what could have happened to Martha.
'I asked him who she was with. He said he couldn't release information because it was too early on in the investigation. He instructed me to phone the medical examiner's office.'
'...I don't know what happened. We weren't told anything about the circumstances.'
Currently, detectives have said that Martha's final cause of death is 'pending further investigation' after an initial investigation and exam 'were inconclusive.'
It's believed that to carry out the full roster of testing, including toxicology and histological reports, could take at least three months to complete.
Elma also heartbreakingly revealed that Martha was planning to return to Ireland this week and had phoned a few days ago to see about arranging a lift. That quick call was the last time they spoke.
A keen GAA player, Martha moved to Dublin for the final two years of secondary school to attend the Institute of Education before landing a place at the UCD Smurfit Business School.
After moving to the US, she was employed in a number of positions in the finance industry, but her passion was fashion, and she launched a number of companies in 2021, including her resortwear line East X East that had just opened a pop-up shop in East Hampton at the time of her passing.
Her last TikTok video posted online shows her celebrating her brand’s pop-up shop on the beach in the up-market Hamptons. Between helicopter rides and private jets, Ms Nolan was cementing herself as one of the many successful young businesswomen in the area. However, her heart was never too far from Ireland – and especially Carlow.
Her business partner, Dylan Grace from Limerick, was among the first to pay tribute to her, saying: She was a truly remarkable person, an amazing business partner, and she will be forever in my heart. We are devastated by her passing.
‘We dreamed big together, laughed harder than anyone else could understand, and built so much from nothing. I’m truly blessed and grateful to have had you in my life. ‘Love you so much, Mar. Fly high, girl.’
The pair had been locked in a legal dispute in a New York court with an investor who claimed the right to Ms Nolan-O’Slatarra’s fashion business, according to legal documents seen by the Irish Daily Mail. Both had denied any wrongdoing.
