Bloomsbury USA president dies in horrific speedboat accident in Italy

Publishing house Bloomsbury USA's president was killed Thursday as a result of a terrifying boating accident on the Amalfi coast which injured her husband and shocked her two children during their Italian family getaway.

Adrienne Vaughan was accompanied by her husband Mike White, 14-year-old daughter Leanna, and 11-year-old son Mason when their speedboat hit a sailing ship carrying 85 people who were celebrating a wedding.

A witness, Pietro Iuzzolino, revealed to Corriere del Mezzogiorno newspaper that Vaughan was fatally struck by the speedboat's propellers as she was thrown into the water due to the accident, leaving her with a lost arm and her head "white as if no blood was flowing."

He reported that the skipper of the speedboat had also received injuries and was vomiting, giving the impression of being drunk. The 30-year-old driver failed toxicology tests after the tragedy, according to local media.

However, the 55-year-old wedding ship driver passed a toxicology test.

Vaughan and her family were on a European tour travelling from New York. They had chartered a motorboat in Nerano and yesterday were travelling towards Positano when they crashed into a 130ft Tortuga ship with American and German tourists at about 6:30 pm in Fiordo di Furore, Daily Mail reported.

It is still unknown what caused the speedboat to collide with the giant vessel.

According to Iuzzolino, she suffered horrific injuries and was "supported by her children and husband".

Emergency services arrived at the scene, and the 45-year-old was taken to a pier for rescue. By 7 pm, when an ambulance and air ambulance arrived, Vaughan was declared dead and her body was taken to the Mercato San Severino hospital morgue.

Meanwhile, Vaughan's husband suffered serious limb injuries, including a dislocated shoulder, after being thrown off the boat and was rushed to the hospital where he underwent surgery on his left shoulder.

The children, however, were unharmed but suffered shock and were taken to a tourist facility in Sant'Agata dei due to the accident.

The boat skipper was also hospitalised.

Amalfi Port Authority launched an investigation and members of the wedding party were taken to shore for questioning about the incident.

In 2021, Vaughan, who held an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business, became the US president of Bloomsbury Publishing House, having previously served as executive director and COO. She had been a part of major projects like the Harry Potter series and worked for Disney from 2015-2018. Vaughan also worked for Oxford University Press.

She was described as a "charismatic true leader", by a former colleague on LinkedIn, who added: "She was my coach and my mentor. I loved working with her every day. It was always ready to help others."