Newly Divorced, Irish Clothing Designer Killed On New York Waters Cruise Ship

Illustration of ferries crossing New York waters. (David Jones-Unpslash)

JAKARTA - An Irish-born fashion designer who was found dead on a cruise ship off the coast of the state of New York, USA, has just completed the divorce process.

Martha Nolan-O'Spura, 33, was unconscious aboard a cruise ship called Ripple in Montauk Yacht Club, Long Island, New York, when a man called 911 on August 5 at midnight.

Citing the UK Mirror, Tuesday, August 12, the Suflok County Police Department said a witness who found the victim had made CSR's first aid. However, the victim died shortly thereafter.

The US detective investigating the death said that after a post-mortem examination, no violence was found in the victim's body.

However, further examinations will still be carried out. It took at least three months to produce a complete report.

Court documents reported by the New York Post revealed that the victim was undergoing a divorce process without a lawsuit with her husband, Sam Ryan, in April 2025.

An unnamed eyewitness told the newspaper that the cruise ship passengers on the scene "sleeped soundly". They were then awakened by a man throwing sunscreen on a cruise ship.