LAST UPDATE | 6 Aug

THERE IS NO evidence to suggest foul play was involved in the death of an Irish woman, who was found on a yacht docked in the coastal New York town of Montauk in the early hours of yesterday morning, local police have confirmed. 

Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra was originally from Carlow and was a graduate of UCD’s Smurfit Business School and had been living in Manhattan for a number of years.

She was founder of fashion brand East x East as well as operations director at US investment firm K4 Capital Management in New York.

The 33-year-old was pronounced dead on the boat by first responders, according to a statement from Suffolk County Police. In an update this evening, while a cause of death is yet to be determined, foul play has been ruled out.

“An autopsy conducted on Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra, the woman found dead on a boat in Montauk on August 5, did not show evidence of violence and her final cause of death is pending further examination,” Suffolfk County Police said.

A man had called 911 reporting that a woman was unconscious on a boat docked at the Montauk Yacht Club on Star Island Road at around midnight. The police statement said “Good Samaritans” attempted to perform CPR on the woman. 

Martha Nolan O'Slatarra LinkedIn LinkedIn

Last February, the fashion designer spoke to the Irish Independent about her career.

She recalled how she had studied in Dublin’s Institute of Education for her fifth and sixth years in secondary school, going on to receive her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from UCD.

From there, she worked in finance and marketing before she set up her own business.

She founded East x East, a resort-wear brand with the tagline “Built in the City x Made for the Sun”, in September 2021. 

There are 57,000 people following the East x East account on Instagram, where it posts content sharing the brand’s products and events that it has held or been involved in.

The brand opened a pop-up store in Montauk at the beginning of July, Ms Nolan-O’Slattara said in a video posted to her TikTok page.

“I live in the Upper East Side. I love it in New York. It’s expensive but I don’t see myself living anywhere else for now,” she told the Irish Independent.

“I love Carlow, I miss it so much but now that I work for myself I can go home for a month and my parents and my friends are always coming out to see me.

“I feel I won’t be able to work for anyone ever again… All that I have learned from my previous jobs, I feel like the puzzle has fallen into place.”

A woman who was staying at the yacht club’s hotel told NBC New York that she woke up yesterday morning to a massive police presence.

“You could see out into the marina, and you could see the yellow tape partitioning off the boat,” she said.

Describing the resort and area as “chill”, she continued, “you never see anything remotely like this. It was unnerving.”

Montauk – located on the eastern tip of Long Island, almost 200km from Manhattan – is a seaside tourist destination popular with local families and overseas visitors. 

It has a strong Irish community, and has been a favoured destination of J1 students in particular during the summer months in recent years.

The Montauk Yacht Club’s website describes the marina as the largest in the Hamptons, spanning 16 acres. 

In a statement to CBS News, a spokesperson for the yacht club said: 

“We are saddened to learn of the tragic incident that took place. Our team is cooperating with law enforcement in their ongoing investigation and remains committed to the safety and well-being of our guests and staff.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said its officials were aware of the case and providing consular assistance. 

- Reporting by Emma Hickey, Lauren Boland, Muiris Ó Cearbhaill and Daragh Brophy