33-Year-Old Fashion Designer Martha Nolan Found Dead on a Boat at a Yacht Club – Details

Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra was deeply passionate about her entrepreneurial vision, a drive that led her to leave her hometown and build a new life abroad in pursuit of her goals.

Authorities are investigating the sudden death of 33-year-old Manhattan-based fashion designer Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra, whose body was discovered early Tuesday, August 5, aboard a boat docked at the Montauk Yacht Club. The incident has stunned the upscale Long Island community, where violent deaths are rare.

According to Suffolk County Police, East Hampton Town officers responded to a 911 call around midnight from a man who reported a woman unconscious on a boat moored at the club, located on Star Island Road. Good Samaritans attempted CPR before first responders arrived, but Nolan-O’Slatarra was pronounced dead at the scene.

The exact cause of death remains unknown and will be determined by the Suffolk County Medical Examiner's Office following an autopsy. Early findings were inconclusive.

A fellow boater claimed that the vessel, named Ripple, belonged to Nolan-O'Slatarra's boyfriend and is often used for parties. The boater shared that on the night Nolan-O'Slatarra was found, she heard screams.

Nolan-O'Slatarra's boyfriend, who was often seen in a disheveled and intoxicated state, was also reportedly spotted running outside naked and shouting for help, identifying the woman as his girlfriend.

Police remained on the scene into Wednesday morning, August 6, with detectives questioning guests and cordoning off parts of the yacht club. While law enforcement combed the area for clues, other patrons were seen continuing their day as usual, lounging by the pool or dining at on-site restaurants.

Despite the heavy police presence, life at the exclusive resort largely carried on. Still, the shocking incident has rattled the tight-knit and typically serene enclave, popular among celebrities and influencers during the summer months.

Those who knew Nolan-O'Slatarra described her as warm and outgoing. "She was well known in the community. She was very friendly. Always smiling. There’s going to be a lot of conversation out of this," a local resident said.

A representative from the Montauk Yacht Club expressed sorrow over the incident, stating that the team is working closely with authorities as investigations continue. They emphasized their dedication to ensuring the safety and well-being of both guests and staff but declined to provide further details.

Nolan-O'Slatarra hailed from Monacurragh, located along Blackbog Road on the outskirts of Carlow town. According to her LinkedIn profile, she held a commerce degree from University College Dublin and later earned a master's in digital marketing from the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School.

She remained in Ireland until 2015, working there before moving to New York. In an interview she gave in 2024, Nolan-O'Slatarra said, "Carlow is a small town, I was the small town girl who needed to get out to achieve her big dreams. I was the one who forced my parents to allow me to go to the Institute of Education in Dublin for fifth and sixth year."

After relocating to New York, Nolan-O'Slatarra settled on the Upper East Side, where she embraced city life despite its high cost. While she remained deeply fond of her hometown, Carlow, and missed it dearly, working for herself allowed her the flexibility to visit for extended periods. She also shared that her parents and friends frequently traveled to New York to spend time with her.

In New York, she went on to establish her own label, East x East, which specializes in high-end sunglasses, swimwear, and resort attire for both men and women. She shared that after building experience in the fashion industry, her entrepreneurial drive and deep interest in fashion inspired her to start businesses.

Her resortwear brand, East x East, was created as a way to combine her passion for travel with her background in marketing. "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," she noted.

The entrepreneur was busy achieving her goals, having recently celebrated the launch of her beachwear brand at Gurney's Montauk Resort and Seawater Spa. Just weeks ago, she posted a TikTok video showing off her pop-up shop, captioning it "Goals Achieved" and inviting fans to visit.

In her 2024 interview, Nolan-O'Slatarra had expressed excitement about what lay ahead, eager to continue blending innovation and creativity across business and fashion. Her plans included launching new collections in collaboration with celebrities, returning for a second season of pop-up shops in the Hamptons, and growing her consulting business.

Confident in her skills, she felt she had found her calling in helping others build successful brands, drawing on a wealth of experience and resources. Nolan-O'Slatarra believed everything she had learned had finally come together. Now, those dreams and ambitions have been sadly cut short.

Tragically, Nolan-O'Slatarra's story is not the only recent reminder of a young life ended far too soon. Twenty-two-year-old American woman Isabel Ashanti Gómez, who had no ties to drug trafficking, died in Michoacán, Mexico, after unknowingly crossing paths with suspected cartel gunmen.

On Sunday, June 22, 2025, Isabel went to a local dance event in her hometown with her friend, 26-year-old Dánae. When the party ran late, her father, Valentín, offered to pick them up. Around midnight, he arrived in his Ford F-150 truck to take them home.

While driving along the Zitácuaro–Aputzio de Juárez highway, they came across what appeared to be a cartel roadblock. According to local reports, the checkpoint was allegedly set up by members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

Fearing they would be detained or harmed, Isabel's father chose not to stop. However, this may have caused the gunmen to assume they were rival gang members.

Within seconds, the armed men opened fire on their truck. Isabel was shot and died at the scene. Her father and friend were both seriously injured and rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Investigators believe the attack was carried out by a group led by William Edwin Rivera Padilla, known as "El Barbas," a regional lieutenant for the CJNG in that area.

Despite the severity of the case, no arrests have been made so far. Authorities continue to investigate while family, friends, and residents demand justice and an end to the violence.

Isabel's death sparked widespread grief in her community, where many remembered her for her kindness, her bright smile, and her dedication to cultural promotion in the state.

Her civil partner, May Mendoza, took to Facebook to pay tribute, writing, "I will always carry you in my heart my beautiful girl."

Other tributes also poured in. One post shared on X read, "You pain me, Michoacán." It described how people in Aputzio de Juárez bid a heartfelt farewell to Isabel, affectionately known as "Chavelita." The post ended with, "May she rest in peace."

Another tribute shared online read, "It's so painful to say goodbye, but I carry you in my soul — with every smile and in every moment we shared together."