The president of publishing house Bloomsbury USA has tragically died in a horror boating accident on the Amalfi coast which also saw her husband injured and 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 ship upon which 85 people were celebrating a wedding.
Ms Vaughan was thrown into the water and fatally struck by the boat’s propellers, with witness Pietro Iuzzolino telling Corriere del Mezzogiorno newspaper: ‘She had no arm and the back of her head was white, as if no blood was flowing.’
He added that the skipper of the speedboat was ‘vomiting’ and ‘gave the impression he was drunk.’ The 30-year-old driver also failed toxicology tests after the tragedy, according to Italian outlets Ansa and Italy24.
Vaughan had been dreaming of a trip to Italy for some time and was with her family on a tour of Europe, according to local media.
The family, from New York, had chartered a motorboat in Nerano and yesterday were travelling towards Positano. At about 6.30pm in Fiordo di Furore they crashed into a 130ft Tortuga ship with American and German tourists on board.
Adrienne Vaughan (left), 45, her husband Mike White, daughter Leanna, 14, and son Mason, 11, pose at the Trevi Fountain in Rome. The family were enjoying a summer tour of Europe
A witness said the skipper of the speedboat appeared ‘drunk’ after it crashed into the yacht
Shocking images showed the wedding party looking over the ship’s edge after the crash, which was carrying around 85 people
Vaughan had rented the 29-foot speedboat with her family for a trip off the coast, near the Italian city of Naples, according to Agenzia Giornalistica Italia.
It is unclear what caused the speedboat to collide with the 130-foot yacht, which was filled with around 85 tourists from America and Germany who were celebrating a wedding.
Shocking images showed the wedding guests looking panicked over the cruiser’s edge after the crash, which flung Vaughan overboard and between the two ship hulls.
She suffered horrific injuries as she was struck by the propellers, and Iuzzolino said she was ‘supported by her children and husband’.
Emergency services rushed to the scene, and Vaughan was taken to a pier where first responders tried desperately to save her life.
An air ambulance was also called to the area, but by the time it arrived at around 7pm she was declared dead.
Her body was reportedly taken to the morgue at the Mercato San Severino hospital.
Vaughan’s husband Mike White was also injured in the crash, and their two children were treated for shock
The family were travelling to the picturesque cliffside town of Positano on the Amalfi coast when the tragic accident happened. The family were in Rome just days ago
Vaughan graduated with an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business before her lucrative publishing career
The wedding ship that the speedboat struck was reportedly filled with tourists from America and Germany
Vaughan’s husband was also thrown off the boat and suffered serious limb injuries, including a dislocated shoulder.
He was rushed to hospital in Castiglione di Ravello, and underwent surgery on his left shoulder late Thursday evening, according to Il Mattino.
The children were unharmed in the accident but suffered from shock, and have reportedly been taken to a tourist facility in Sant’Agata dei due Golfi, where the family had been staying on their vacation.
The skipper of the boat was also injured and taken to hospital, and it is unclear what he failed the toxicology test for. The 55-year-old driver of the wedding ship was also investigated but passed a toxicology test.
An investigation has now been launched by the Amalfi Port Authority.
Pictured is the air ambulance at the scene where the two boats collided in a fatal accident
Pictured is a coastguard speedboat at the scene
The family’s speedboat collided with a large ship upon which around 85 people were celebrating
Pictured is the port where the tragedy occurred. Two ambulances attended the scene
Vaughan was named the US president of the Bloomsbury publishing house in 2021, and had joined the company a year before as an executive director and COO.
She was involved in major projects involving titles such as the Harry Potter series. From 2015 to 2018 she had worked for the Disney publishing group.
She was described as ‘charismatic true leader’, by a former colleague on LinkedIn, who added: ‘She was my coach and my mentor. I loved working with her every day. It was always ready to help others.’
Just days ago the family had visited Rome and shared pictures of them in front of the Trevi Fountain and Colosseum.
Vaughan graduated with an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business before her publishing career, which also saw her work for Oxford University Press.
DailyMail.com has contacted Bloomsbury for comment.