THE shocking death of a young designer on a luxury yacht has taken another twist as the boat owner’s identity has finally been revealed.
Martha Nolan O’Slattara, 33, was discovered unconscious on a yacht stationed at an upscale New York marina on August 5, with accounts indicating she succumbed to an overdose following a business meeting.
Contrary to earlier reports of a nude man loudly declaring about his “girlfriend” as bystanders hurried to administer CPR to Nolan, the Irish-born businesswoman’s boyfriend was allegedly not present in Montauk at the time of her passing.
Witnesses recounted seeing the naked man who had been on the yacht screaming at people to help an unconscious Nolan.
The media has since identified her boyfriend as 34-year-old sales executive Nicholas DiRubio through DailyMail.com, who also revealed the yacht belonged to 60-year-old Christopher Durnan.
Nolan’s cause of death is believed to be a suspected drug overdose, though it hasn’t been officially determined, according to the New York Post.
This development coincides with fresh revelations concerning Nolan’s recent divorce and a legal allegation asserting she withdrew $34,000 from her former company’s bank account.
RECENT DIVORCE
Nolan, originally from Ireland, relocated to New York at the age of 26 and filed for an uncontested divorce from her ex-husband, Sam Ryan, earlier in the year, as reported by the Irish Independent.
The divorce proceedings were continuing as recently as April 8, filings by the New York County Supreme Court said.
At the time of her passing, she was romantically involved with another man, 34-year-old sales executive Nicholas DiRubio, and was residing with him in the Montauk area for the summer, according to the Daily Mail.
Nolan reportedly went to talk with Durnan, a well-known figure at the yacht club, before she died, the New York Post reported.
The boat owner founded a large insurance firm that specializes in workers’ compensation and reportedly invested over $200,000 in the designer’s swimwear line, according to the Daily Mail.
He owns Ripple, the boat that cops were called to on Monday night, and another boat called Hell in a Bucket. Both names are nods to the Grateful Dead.
The day after the horrific discovery of Nolan’s body, pictures of the boat revealed a white powdery substance on the seats of Ripple.
At the time of writing, both of the boats have left the spots where they were previously docked at the club, the Daily Mail said.
‘SHORT TIMELINE’
Nolan had told DiRubio she was at a business meeting on the night she died, the Independent said.
In the hours before her death, she reportedly called her boyfriend and told him she was going to book an Uber and get home around 1 am.
“It was just her and the boat owner on the boat,” a source close to Nolan’s family told Irish outlet Extra.ie.
“She phoned her boyfriend and she told him she was just about to be picked up by an Uber.”
The source noted, “There is such a short timeline between when she made the call and when the 911 call was made.”
Timeline of Martha Nolan’s death
Young entreprenur Martha Nolan, 33, was found dead on a yacht in the Hamptons last Tuesday. Below is a timeline of her final days:
Tuesday, August 5
Just after midnight, East Hampton police respond to a 911 call from a man who found a woman unresponsive on a docked boat at the Montauk Yacht Club. Good Samaritans attempt CPR but first responders pronounce her dead at the scene.
Wednesday, August 6
An initial autopsy finds no evidence of violence. The woman is identified as Martha Nolan-O’Slattara.
Thursday, August 7
Nolan’s mom tells the Irish Independent that her family is “numb with shock.”
Nolan reportedly had plans to marry DiRubio before her death.
“Martha and her boyfriend went to Ireland at Christmas. He met her family and getting married would have been the next step,” the source told Extra.ie.
Nolan often showcased a life of private jets and glamorous vacations on her social media accounts before her death.
But she faced legal battles throughout her rise in the fashion world.
2022 LAWSUIT
Nolan and East x East swimwear co-founder Dylan Grace were slapped with a lawsuit in April 2022, according to a court filing by Manhattan luxury sunglasses brand Out East Accessories.
The company accused the pair, two former Out East employees, of stealing $34,000 from the company’s bank account, along with the entire eyewear inventory, the complaint said.
Grace and Nolan allegedly changed the passwords belonging to the company owners and locked them out of their bank account, emails, and social media accounts, court records claimed.
“In the weeks leading up to their termination, and for months thereafter, Grace and Nolan ransacked Out East, stole all its assets and essentially destroyed the company,” the lawsuit claimed.
Nolan denied all allegations.
The case was settled in June 2022 and was dismissed the next month after both parties reached a confidential settlement.
The duo went on to launch East x East swimwear in 2023.
Nolan and Grace remained close as co-founders, as shown in Grace’s heartbreaking tribute on social media after her death.
“We dreamed big together, laughed harder than anyone else could understand, and built so much from nothing,” he wrote on Instagram.
“I’m truly blessed and grateful to have had you in my life. Love you so much Mar. Fly high girl.”
DEVASTATING LOSS
Nolan was born in Ireland and grew up in the Irish town of Carlow.
She received her bachelor’s degree in commerce and a master’s degree in digital marketing at the University College Dublin, according to her LinkedIn profile.
After college, Nolan moved to New York City to pursue her dream of being an entrepreneur.
She started as a bottle service girl in SoHo in downtown Manhattan before founding her own businesses.
The designer co-founded East x East, a swimwear line, and fashion accessories brand Duper.
She spent her summers in the Hamptons, where she put on pop-up shows for her designs and worked with wealthy clients in Montauk.
WAITING FOR ANSWERS
Police said there was no evidence of violence on Nolan’s body.
Cops haven’t filed any charges or identified any suspects in the case.
They haven’t ruled out foul play as the investigation continues into her cause of death.
Her toxicology report has yet to be released.
