In a tragic incident off the Amalfi Coast in southern Italy, Adrienne Vaughan, the head of the U.S. division of Bloomsbury, a renowned British publishing group known for the Harry Potter novels, lost her life in a boating accident.
The Association of American Publishers (AAP) expressed deep sorrow at the passing of Adrienne Vaughan, a talented and passionate leader with a strong commitment to authors and readers. She had recently been elected to the AAP Board of Directors and had already made a positive impact.
Vaughan worked at the company’s NYC headquarters.
The accident occurred when Adrienne Vaughan, 45, was aboard a piloted motorboat with her husband and two children. The motorboat collided with a larger sailing boat carrying around 80 foreign tourists who were celebrating a wedding. Tragically, Vaughan was knocked overboard and suffered fatal injuries after getting caught in the motorboat’s propellers. Her husband was also thrown into the water but received less severe injuries and was treated at a hospital in Ravello.
Their two children, aged eight and 12, were physically unharmed but understandably in shock after the traumatic incident.
Authorities in the port city of Salerno are conducting an investigation to determine the circumstances that led to the collision and Vaughan’s tragic death. Reports suggest that the skipper of the motorboat is under investigation and initially tested positive for substance use, according to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.
Despite being rescued from the water, Adrienne Vaughan’s injuries were too severe to be treated, leading to her death.