Bloomsbury USA president Adrienne Vaughan, 45, is killed in front of her husband and two kids when their ‘drunk’ speedboat skipper smashed into wedding party sailing yacht on Amalfi coast
- Adrienne Vaughan, 45, was tragically killed after being thrown into the water
- Her husband Mike was seriously injured in crash and was rushed to hospital
- A witness said the skipper of the speedboat, 30, appeared ‘drunk’
The president of publishing house Bloomsbury USA has tragically died in a horror boating accident on the Amalfi coast which also saw her husband injured and her two children treated for shock.
Adrienne Vaughan, 45, was with her husband Mike White, daughter Leanna, 14, and son Mason, 11, when their speedboat collided with a sailing ship upon which 85 people were celebrating a wedding.
Ms Vaughan was thrown into the water and fatally struck by the boat’s propellers, with witness Pietro Iuzzolino telling Corriere del Mezzogiorno newspaper: ‘She had no arm and the back of her head was white, as if no blood was flowing.’
He added that the skipper of the speedboat was ‘vomiting’ and ‘gave the impression he was drunk.’ The 30-year-old driver also failed toxicology tests after the tragedy, according to Italian outlets Ansa and Italy24.
Vaughan had been dreaming of a trip to Italy for some time and was with her family on a tour of Europe, according to local media.
The family, from New York, had chartered a motorboat in Nerano and yesterday were travelling towards Positano. At about 6.30pm in Fiordo di Furore they crashed into a 130ft Tortuga ship.
Vaughan had rented the 29-foot speedboat with her family for a trip off the coast, near the Italian city of Naples, according to Agenzia Giornalistica Italia.
It is unclear what caused the speedboat to collide with the large sailing yacht, which was filled with around 85 tourists from America and Germany who were celebrating a wedding.
Moments after the crash, wedding guests were seen looking panicked over the cruiser’s edge as Vaughan was flung overboard and between the two ship hulls.
She suffered horrific injuries as she was struck by the propellers, and Iuzzolino said she was ‘supported by her children and husband’.
Emergency services rushed to the scene after the collision, and Vaughan was taken to a pier where first responders tried desperately to save her life in an ambulance.
When her condition deteriorated, an air ambulance was also called to the area, but by the time it arrived at around 7pm she was declared dead.
Her body was reportedly taken to the morgue at the Mercato San Severino hospital.
Vaughan’s husband was also thrown off the boat and suffered serious limb injuries, including a dislocated shoulder.
He was rushed to hospital in Castiglione di Ravello, and underwent surgery on his left shoulder late Thursday evening, according to Il Mattino.
The skipper of the boat was also injured and taken to hospital, and it is unclear what he failed the toxicology test for. The 55-year-old driver of the wedding ship was also investigated but passed a toxicology test.
The children were unharmed in the accident but suffered from shock, and have reportedly been taken to a tourist facility in Sant’Agata dei due Golfi, where the family had been staying on their vacation.
Members of the wedding party were taken to shore for questioning about the incident, and an investigation has been launched by the Amalfi Port Authority.
Just days ago the family had visited Rome and shared pictures of them in front of the Trevi Fountain and Colosseum, and they had shared gleeful pictures from their dream holiday.
The family had previously visited London three weeks ago, and were said to have ‘dreamt’ of their European trip.