Tearful tribute paid to young Irish fashion designer found dead on yacht in USA
The founder of fashion label East x East, Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra, was discovered unconscious at midnight onboard a boat docked at the Montauk Yacht Club. People rushed out and made attempts to save her life, but East Hampton Town Police later pronounced her dead at the scene.
The 33-year-old, who is originally from Co Carlow but was living in Manhattan, graduated from University College Dublin (UCD) and later completed a masters degree in digital marketing in Smurfit Business School.
Dylan Grace, Martha's business partner at design company East x East, wrote a touching tribute to his dear friend on Instagram alongside a number of photos of them, sharing how he was 'truly blessed and grateful' to have had her in his life.
He wrote: 'We dreamed big together, laughed harder than anyone else could understand, and built so much from nothing. I'm truly blessed and grateful to have had you in my life. Love you so much Mar. Fly high girl."
Martha moved to New York at the age of 26, where she began working as a sales rep for a fintech start-up working with top-tier hedge funds before launching her East x East brand, a clothing and apparel line that specialises in eyewear, swimwear and resortwear.
The details that led to her death remain unknown but are being investigated by the Suffolk County Medical Examiner's Office. While it's unclear exactly how the 33-year-old died, a boater at the scene described the ship in which she was found, named Ripple, as in fact a 'party boat'.
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