NYC Fashion Designer Found Dead on Yacht After Terrifying Screams

A summer in paradise ended in tragedy for a rising fashion mogul after her lifeless body was discovered aboard a luxury boat in Montauk—just hours after locals reported chilling screams echoing across the docks.

The victim has been identified as Martha Nolan-O’Slatarra, 33, a Manhattan-based fashion designer and founder of the resortwear label East x East. She was found unconscious just after midnight Tuesday on a private vessel docked at the upscale Montauk Yacht Club, Suffolk County authorities confirmed. First responders pronounced her dead at the scene.

Now, the exclusive seaside community is rattled—and questions are mounting.

“There were screams—loud ones—coming from the docks late Monday night,” a Montauk Yacht Club member told The Post under condition of anonymity. “People are scared. No one knows what really happened.”

The Suffolk County Homicide Squad is leading the investigation, and forensic teams, including a mobile crime lab, remained at the marina late Tuesday night, sources said.

High Society, Dark Secrets?

Nolan, known professionally and on social media as Martha Nolan, was a well-loved figure in Manhattan’s creative scene and a seasonal staple in the Hamptons. Friends and colleagues described her as vibrant, charismatic, and relentlessly driven.

“She was sunshine in human form,” said one Montauk boutique owner who partnered with Nolan during a July pop-up event. “To think this happened here, on one of the safest docks in Montauk, is chilling.”

A native of Ireland, Nolan moved to the U.S. at 26 and quickly made a name for herself with her brand’s sleek, minimalist take on Hamptons summer fashion. Last month, she celebrated a milestone with an East x East pop-up at the exclusive Gurney’s Resort.

“Goals achieved,” she wrote on TikTok July 1, showing off her line of swimwear and resort apparel. It would be her final post.

Investigators Eye Suspicious Circumstances

The official cause of death has not yet been released. The Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office is conducting an autopsy, and authorities have not ruled out foul play.

“The investigation is active and ongoing,” a Suffolk County Police spokesperson told reporters. “We ask the public to withhold speculation as we gather facts.”

Nolan’s body was discovered aboard a vessel known as The Ripple, according to sources at the scene. The name of the boat’s owner has not been publicly released.

Some yacht club members described hearing what sounded like “a woman in distress” late Monday night—hours before the discovery.

“You don’t expect to hear screams around here,” one longtime member said. “Something terrible happened. Everyone can feel it.”

A Community in Shock

The Montauk Yacht Club, a cornerstone of Hamptons luxury, is now under intense scrutiny. As news of Nolan’s death spreads, residents and visitors alike are grappling with the horror of a possible crime in their midst.

“She was known, respected, and adored,” said a local business owner. “Montauk lost a little of its magic today.”

Authorities are urging anyone with information about Nolan’s whereabouts in the hours before her death to come forward.