Adrienne Vaughan’s husband, Mike White, issues a statement urging Italian authorities to continue the investigation
The husband of the president of Bloomsbury USA, who died after being launched into a ship’s propellers during a speedboat crash, has issued a statement on behalf of the family calling on Italian officials to fully investigate the incident.
On his release, Mike White also paid tribute to his late wife, 45-year-old Adrienne Vaughan, calling her a “beloved mother, wife, daughter, sister, niece and dear friend and colleague to many.”
“Her absence from our lives and the appalling circumstances of her death are impossible to comprehend,” he added. Italian media have reported that the skipper of the boat White and Vaughan were traveling in has tested positive for cocaine.
“We expect the Italian authorities to fully investigate the circumstances leading up to Adrienne’s death, to determine where responsibility lies and to ensure that any person found responsible is held accountable according to the Italian criminal justice system,” continued White. .
He said the family is cooperating with the investigation. White also thanked those who offered condolences “after these unimaginable events.”
The family was on their way to the picturesque town of Positano on the Amalfi Coast on Thursday evening when the tragic accident happened
New York-born Vaughan reportedly “dreamed” of her family vacation to Italy
Last week, Giuseppe Borrelli, Salerno’s chief prosecutor, told a press conference in that port city that the skipper is being investigated on suspicion of causing a shipwreck.
No charges have been filed against 30-year-old Elio Persico to date and the investigation is ongoing.
The skipper was injured in the crash, as was White. The couple’s children, Leanna, 14, and Mason, 11, were unharmed but treated for shock.
The motorboat crashed into a chartered sailboat, where some 70 guests on board were enjoying a wedding reception.
Persico, from Massa Lubrense near Sorrento, suffered pelvic and rib fractures and is now charged with shipwreck, manslaughter and negligent injury.
Prosecutor Marinella Guglielmotti questioned the skipper while he was in hospital and demanded his phone records be handed over, Il Messaggero said.
He also tested positive for alcohol and cocaine, according to Italian media.
The horror crash is captured in shocking footage captured aboard the Tortuga ship.
The bride and groom were seen dancing with their guests, surrounded by a picturesque landscape, just before the music stopped as the speedboat crashed into the side of their ship.
Startled guests gasped and rushed to the edge to offer the family inflatables.
Skipper Elio Persico, 30, from Massa Lubrense near Sorrento, was reportedly drunk and using his cell phone before the boat carrying the New York family crashed, killing Vaughan
The publisher, 45, was described as a ‘charismatic true leader’
New York native Vaughan had reportedly “dreamed” of her family vacation to Italy, and her husband shared a Facebook post that showed the foursome bronzed and radiant next to the Trevi Fountain and Coliseum just a day before the crash.
They were on their way to Positano on the 29-foot motorboat when their ship collided with the Tortuga ship in Fiordo di Furore.
Two doctors who were among the passengers on the wedding sailboat dove into the sea to help Vaughan, while a nearby ship took her to shore, Italian state radio said, citing the sailboat’s captain.
But Borrelli said Vaughan died before a medical helicopter and local ambulance could take her to hospital.
He declined to give details of her injuries and said the results of an autopsy are still pending.
The couple’s two young children are now cared for by one of their grandfathers who has traveled to Italy to help out while their father recovers.
Vaughan graduated with an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business before embarking on her distinguished publishing career.
She went to work for the Oxford University Press and from 2015 to 2018 she worked for the Disney publishing house.
Vaughan joined Bloomsbury in 2020 as an executive director and COO, before being named the company’s US president the following year.
When she was promoted to the prestigious position, Bloomsbury praised her for her “strong leadership in a challenging time.”
According to Publishers Weekly, her tenure as president focused on the company’s “next chapter,” including expansion across America “with a strong future and significant publishing impact.”
She was described on LinkedIn as a ācharismatic true leaderā by a former colleague who added, āShe was my coach and my mentor. I loved working with her every day. It was always ready to help others.’
Tributes continue to pour in for the mother and the president of Bloomsbury.
Fellow publishing director Mary Ann Naples described her death as an “unimaginable injustice” in a heartbreaking tribute to her friend.
“You and I have been through a lot together and supported each other a lot,” said the VP and publisher of Hachette Books.
“At every step you showed that you cared about other people, you talked about your love for your children and your family, how much you missed your father,” she added.
“You used to tell me stories about Leanna and Mason and tell me how proud you were of them.”
Naples said Vaughan was “always proud” of her work and regularly offered assistance to others in the industry.
“When I congratulated you on your promotion to president of Bloomsbury, you said ‘it still feels like a dream’, and you were so happy,” she recalls.
‘I wouldn’t have wanted anyone else. I will always miss you; you are forever my friend.’