Adrienne Vaughan, the CEO of Bloomsbury USA publishing house, has been killed in a tragic boating accident. Vaughan met with an accident off Italy’s Amalfi Coast where she was holidaying with her husband and two children on a rented speedboat. Her boat collided with a larger sailing boat, which was carrying 80 tourists.
According to a report by multiple media reports, Ms Vaughan was flung into the ocean and drowned after being struck by the propeller of the sailing boat. She was dragged from the sea onto a dock, but she was pronounced dead at the site by the time rescue workers arrived.
Her husband, Mike White, dislocated his shoulder and had cuts on his arms. The children, aged 12 and eight remained unharmed physically but witnessing such a tragic crash left them in shock.
The publishing house issued a statement confirming the demise of Adrienne Vaughan, President of Bloomsbury USA as result of sustained injuries in a boat collision in Italy. The statement also mentioned that America grew to be the publishing house’s biggest market after she became the president.
According to The Guardian, the captain of the speedboat sustained broken pelvis and ribs after the collision and his toxicology reports had indicated alcohol in his system above the legal limits. On the other hand, the captain of the sailing boat tested negative for any substance.
Italian prosecutors in Salerno have launched an investigation into the matter since the reason for collision of Ms Vaughan’s boat was not clear. It was during her tenure as president of the American arm of the British publisher when ‘Harry Potter’ was launched in the UK. Ms Vaughan was reportedly an MBA graduate from NYU Business School in 2007. She had also previously managed the Marvel Press at the entertainment giant, Disney Publishing Worldwide.