MICHAEL RUIZ: Montauk bikini designer's $50M yacht death lawsuit frozen as owner asks judge for exoneration
A federal judge has paused the wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Irish bikini designer Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra, who was found dead on a $50 million yacht in Montauk, while the boat's owner seeks exoneration under maritime law.
The family of an Irish bikini designer found dead aboard a luxury yacht at a high-end New York marina is facing delays in their $50 million wrongful death lawsuit. Federal judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein has put the state-level case on hold while the boat's owner, Christopher Durnan, seeks exoneration or to limit his liability under maritime law.
Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra, a 33-year-old Irish expat and New York fashion designer, was found dead on Durnan's 54-foot Sea Ray named 'Ripple' at the Montauk Yacht Club in August 2025. Durnan, a 61-year-old multimillionaire insurance mogul and investor in Nolan-O'Slatarra's summerwear business, is now attempting to cap his potential exposure at $476,942, which his attorneys claim is the vessel's appraised value.
Maritime Law Strategy
Durnan is invoking federal maritime law in a bid to avoid liability altogether or limit his exposure to less than 1% of the family's $50 million demand. His attorneys filed a petition with the court, arguing that any alleged fault occurred without Durnan's 'privity or knowledge' – meaning he had no personal involvement or awareness of circumstances that contributed to Nolan-O'Slatarra's death.
According to maritime law expert David Cattie, vessel owners have 'vastly more protection' at sea than on land if certain criteria are met. However, 'if they are claiming, and can prove, direct involvement or knowledge by the owner, those protections evaporate.' The federal court battle will focus on whether Durnan personally knew about or was responsible for any circumstances that led to Nolan-O'Slatarra's death.
Even though the boat was docked at the time of death, it was still legally in a 'navigable waterway,' making it subject to admiralty jurisdiction, Cattie explained. The case resembles the strategy used by the owner of the cargo ship that struck Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge in 2024 to limit liability for that disaster.
Death Investigation Details
Town of East Hampton police responded to the Montauk Yacht Club around midnight on Aug. 5, 2025, after a report of an unconscious woman aboard Durnan's boat. Nolan-O'Slatarra was pronounced dead at the scene. According to Suffolk County police, forensic pathologists found no signs of violence, though her final cause of death remained pending additional investigation.
In the wrongful death lawsuit filed earlier this year, Nolan-O'Slatarra's family alleged Durnan assaulted her or engaged in grossly negligent, reckless and wanton conduct that caused her injuries and death. 'The EMTs, when they arrived, found blood in her mouth. On her chest, on her head, and they believe behind her, behind her head,' Bowe told Fox News Digital in August.
According to Durnan's federal court filing, Nolan-O'Slatarra was a guest aboard the Ripple on Aug. 4, 2025. Around midnight on Aug. 5, she was unconscious and unresponsive, and Durnan attempted to render aid, seeking help from people aboard other vessels at the marina. One called 911 and another performed CPR on Nolan-O'Slatarra.
Legal Maneuvering
Although the wrongful death lawsuit was filed in August 2025, Durnan had not been served with it until Oct. 1. His attorneys had declined to accept service on his behalf, and process servers had difficulty locating him at his waterfront homes in New York and Florida. A process server eventually found Durnan at his vacation home in Lantana, Florida, after a days-long stakeout involving multiple process servers and private investigators.
The next day, Durnan turned to federal court with his petition to avoid or limit liability. On Oct. 27, Judge Gorenstein approved Durnan's request to put up the boat's appraised value as substitute collateral and ordered related litigation to be 'restrained, stayed and enjoined' until a hearing. He set a Jan. 25, 2027, deadline for potential claimants to enter the federal case and challenge Durnan's bid.
'When we have trouble serving someone, it's a red flag that something fishy is going on,' said Randolph Rice, a Maryland-based attorney and legal analyst. 'Ultimately, this maritime maneuver may give the defense a legal lifeline, but it's far from clear whether the argument will float with the federal court.'
Related
