Adrienne Vaughan, a mother-of-two and president of Bloomsbury USA, was tragically killed in a horror speedboat accident on the Amalfi coast in Italy. The 45-year-old was described as a ‘charismatic true leader’ by her colleagues, and had previously made a name for herself working for the publisher of the Harry Potter books.
Away from her demanding job, Vaughan had reportedly been ‘dreaming’ of her visit to Europe this month with her husband Mike White, daughter Leanna, 14, and son Mason, 11. But the vacation turned into a nightmare after they hired a Gozzo Sorrentino boat for a day out on the water, driven by a skipper that witnesses later said was ‘vomiting’ and appeared ‘drunk.’
Originally from New York, Vaughan lived in a sleepy New Jersey neighborhood with her family. Just a day before the tragedy, her husband Mike had shared a Facebook post from their trip to Italy showing the family beaming on their vacation.
They appeared to be the picture-perfect family as they beamed in front of the Trevi Fountain and Colosseum, and just three weeks before they had taken another vacation to London. On their visit to Italy, Vaughan had chartered a motorboat in Nerano and headed towards Positano, renting the 29ft vessel for a sun-soaked day out off the coast, according to Agenzia Giornalistica Italia.
The allegedly drunk skipper would go on to slam the vessel into the side of a 130-foot ship hosting a wedding party, with shocking footage capturing the moment the music falls silent as guests realize what occurred. Mike underwent surgery on his left shoulder after the accident, while the children were unharmed but suffered from shock.
Source: Daily Mail
