An autopsy conducted on Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra, the woman found dead on a boat in Montauk on Tuesday, did not show evidence of violence, and her final cause of death is pending further examination, Suffolk County police said Wednesday.
Nolan-O’Slatarra was found unconscious on a boat at the exclusive Montauk Yacht Club off Star Island Road in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
East Hampton Town police officers received a 911 call from a concerned passerby, triggering their response to the dock just after midnight, the Suffolk County Police Department said in a press release. Good Samaritans were already providing CPR when first responders arrived, and they too attempted to administer lifesaving aid.
Despite all of their efforts to revive her, Nolan-O’Slatarra was pronounced dead at the scene, police said. She was 33 years old.
Originally from Monacurragh, Nolan-O’Slatarra grew up working on her parents’ farm on Blackbog Road, tucked on the edge of Carlow town, the Irish Times reported.
In 2015, she moved from Ireland to New York, where she launched her fashion brand East x East, a “sustainable” line focused on swimsuits, resort wear and other beachy items. It was meant to pay homage to her new home — specifically, “the natural beauty and chic lifestyle of The Hamptons” — and it was “founded on the belief that fashion should not come at the expense of our planet,” the brand’s website states.
“Our tagline is built in the city, made for the sun,” Nolan-O’Slatarra explained in a past TikTok video. “I think it resonates with so many people on so many levels because at some point, everyone in their lives is grinding, but everyone’s destined for the sun.”
Just weeks before her death, Nolan-O’Slatarra opened a popup location at Gurney’s Montauk Resort and Seawater Spa, just 6 miles from the yacht club. On July 1, she posted a clip online celebrating the shop, saying: “POV: The brand you started three years ago has a popup in the Hamptons.” It is the last thing she shared on TikTok.
In a February 2024 interview with the Irish Independent, she said relocating to the city was an essential part of her journey as a designer and businesswoman.
“I was the small-town girl who needed to get out to achieve her big dreams,” she told the Irish Independent that February. “I always knew I wanted to be successful, that I was money-driven, business-driven, and that fashion is a tough industry and it would be a slow road.”
Her business partner, Dylan Grace, praised his friend’s ambition and lauded the success she found in a touching Instagram tribute on Wednesday.
“We dreamed big together, we laughed harder than anyone could understand, and built so much from nothing,” it said. “I’m truly blessed and grateful to have had you in my life. Love you so much, fly high girl.”
The Montauk Yacht Club, a 16-acre waterfront property, has also since expressed its condolences.
“We are saddened to learn of the tragic incident that took place,” a spokesman told CBS News. “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.”
The resort first opened on Montauk’s Star Island in 1928, with past members including J.P. Morgan, Vincent Astor and Charles Lindbergh, according to its website.
An investigation, led by Hampton homicide detectives, is ongoing.
Originally Published: August 6, 2025 at 8:54 AM EDT
