The 45-year-old President of Bloomsbury USA is killed in front of her husband and two children when their ‘drunken’ speedboat skipper crashed into a sailing yacht for a wedding on the Amalfi Coast
The 45-year-old President of Bloomsbury USA is killed in front of her husband and two children when their ‘drunken’ speedboat skipper crashed into a sailing yacht for a wedding on the Amalfi Coast
- Adrienne Vaughan, 45, was tragically killed after being thrown into the water
- Her husband Mike was seriously injured in an accident and was rushed to hospital
The president of Bloomsbury USA was tragically killed in a horrific boating accident off the Amalfi Coast, which also injured her husband and left 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 vessel on which 85 people were celebrating a wedding.
Ms. Vaughan had been dreaming of a trip to Italy for some time and, according to local media, was touring Europe with her family.
The New York family had chartered a motorboat in Nerano and were on their way to Positano yesterday. At about 6:30 p.m., they crashed into Fiordo di Furore on a 40-meter Tortuga ship with American and German tourists on board.
Mrs. Vaughan was thrown into the water and was reportedly fatally hit by the boat’s propellers. According to Italian media, the 30-year-old driver of the speedboat failed toxicology tests after the tragedy Ansa And Italy24.
Adrienne Vaughan (left), 45, her husband Mike White, daughter Leanna, 14, and son Mason, 11, pose at the Trevi Fountain in Rome. The family enjoyed a summer tour of Europe
The family’s speedboat collided with a large ship on which some 85 people were celebrating
The family was on their way to the picturesque town of Positano on the Amalfi Coast when the tragic accident happened. The family was in Rome just a few days ago
In the photo is the port where the tragedy took place. Two ambulances arrived on the scene
Two ambulances and a helicopter rushed to the scene and Vaughan was taken to a pier where first responders desperately tried to save her life.
That is what witness Pietro Iuzzolino told Corriere del Mezzogiorno newspaper that after the horror collision he saw ‘the woman in the water, supported by her children and husband’.
“She had no arm and the back of her head was white, as if no blood was flowing,” he said, adding that the speedboat’s skipper “broke up” and “looked drunk.”
An air ambulance was called to the area, but by the time it arrived at around 7 p.m., she was pronounced dead.
Her husband was also thrown from the boat and suffered serious limb injuries, including a dislocated shoulder. He was rushed to hospital in Castiglione di Ravello.
The children were unharmed in the accident, but were in shock. The skipper of the boat was also injured and taken to hospital.
An investigation has now been launched by the Amalfi Port Authority. It is not yet clear how the two boats collided.
Vaughan’s husband Mike White was also injured in the crash and their two children were treated for shock
The photo shows the trauma helicopter at the place where the two boats collided in a fatal accident
In the photo, a Coast Guard speedboat is on the scene
Ms. Vaughan was named president of Bloomsbury publishing house in the US in 2021. She was involved in major projects with titles like the Harry Potter series. From 2015 to 2018, she worked for Disney publishing house.
She was described as a ‘charismatic true leader’: ‘She was my coach and my mentor. I loved working with her every day. It was always ready to help others,” a former colleague wrote on LinkedIn.
Just days ago, the family had visited Rome and shared photos of them in front of the Trevi Fountain and the Colosseum.