Judge pauses family’s wrongful-death case in Montauk yacht death

The family of Irish fashion designer Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra will have to wait to pursue its state-court wrongful-death lawsuit while the owner of the yacht where she died seeks to avoid liability or limit it to the boat’s value.

Nolan-O’Slatarra, 33, was found dead aboard the 54-foot Sea Ray Ripple at the Montauk Yacht Club in August 2025. The yacht’s owner, Christopher Durnan, is a 61-year-old investor who had backed her summerwear business.

Durnan has asked a federal court to absolve him of liability or cap any potential damages at $476,942, the appraised value of the vessel. His lawyers deny that he was at fault or negligent.

Michael Bowe, an attorney for Nolan-O’Slatarra’s family, called the filing a delay tactic and said Durnan would still have to respond to the family’s complaint and sit for a deposition. Durnan’s attorney, James Mercante, declined to comment.

Maritime-law attorney David Cattie said vessel owners can receive broader legal protections than landowners, depending on the circumstances. But those protections may not apply if an owner was directly involved or knew about a condition that contributed to a death, he said.

The case will likely turn in part on whether Durnan had “privity” or knowledge of the circumstances alleged to have caused or contributed to Nolan-O’Slatarra’s death. Cattie said that if an owner knew about or was involved in a defect that caused harm, the owner may not be able to limit liability to the vessel’s value.

Although the Ripple was docked at the marina, Cattie said the incident could still fall under federal admiralty jurisdiction if the harm occurred aboard the boat. The question could be different if it happened on the dock and Nolan-O’Slatarra was later moved onto the vessel.

In his court filing, Durnan said Nolan-O’Slatarra was a guest aboard the Ripple on Aug. 4. Around midnight the following night, she was unconscious and unresponsive, the filing states. Durnan said he tried to help and sought assistance from people on nearby boats. One called 911, while another performed CPR.

Durnan’s lawyers argued that any fault contributing to the death occurred without his knowledge or involvement, and said he acted reasonably. He has not been charged with a crime and has denied wrongdoing.

The family filed its wrongful-death lawsuit in August, alleging that Durnan assaulted Nolan-O’Slatarra or engaged in grossly negligent, reckless or wanton conduct that led to her injuries and death. Bowe said emergency responders found blood in her mouth and on her chest and head. Police have said forensic pathologists found no signs of violence; the cause of death remained under investigation.

Court filings say Durnan was served with the lawsuit on Oct. 1. Bowe said the family had difficulty locating him at several properties in New York. A process server eventually found him at his waterfront home in Lantana, Florida, after a days-long effort involving investigators and process servers. The following day, Durnan filed his federal petition.

On Oct. 27, U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein allowed Durnan to deposit the yacht’s appraised value as substitute collateral and temporarily halted related litigation while the federal case proceeds. The judge also gave potential claimants, including Nolan-O’Slatarra’s family, until Jan. 25, 2027, to join the federal case and challenge Durnan’s request.