Yacht owner seeks exoneration in $50 million suit over Montauk bikini designer's death
Christopher Durnan, owner of the yacht where Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra was found dead at a Montauk marina, has invoked federal maritime law to seek exoneration or a limited liability cap, freezing the family's $50 million wrongful death suit.
The owner of a yacht where a New York fashion designer was found dead in Montauk has asked a federal judge to exonerate him from a $50 million wrongful death lawsuit, a move that has frozen the related state case. Christopher Durnan, a 61-year-old insurance executive and summerwear investor, contends that federal maritime law shields him from the bulk of the family's claims.
The victim, 33-year-old Martha Nolan-O'Slatarra, was an Irish-born designer known for her bikini collections. She was found dead in August 2025 aboard the 54-foot Sea Ray yacht named Ripple, docked at a Montauk marina. Her family's suit, filed in state court, seeks $50 million in damages and alleges that she was assaulted or that the owner acted with gross negligence. Those allegations have not been proven, and the family's account of the night remains untested in court.
Durnan has denied any wrongdoing, and he has not been charged with a crime. In his account, his guest died after midnight. He said he sought help and that another boater performed CPR before emergency responders arrived. Police found no signs of violence at the scene, and the final cause of death has not yet been determined, leaving the central factual question open while the legal fight proceeds.
Rather than defend the state action on its merits, Durnan invoked a federal limitation-of-liability statute to seek exoneration or a limit on his responsibility. Under the proposal, his liability would be capped at the vessel's appraised value, $476,942, a sum far below the damages the family is pursuing. The decisive legal question is whether the owner had «abprivity» or knowledge of the circumstances that caused the death. If he did, the cap would not protect him; if he did not, the limitation could sharply reduce what he must pay.
On October 27, Judge Gabriel Gorenstein stayed the related state litigation while the federal proceeding moves forward, meaning the family cannot press its claims in state court for now. Claimants have until January 25, 2027, to file their challenges in the federal case, which sets the timetable for how the dispute will be contested. The family's attorney, Michael Bowe, and Durnan's counsel, James Mercante, are on opposite sides of the question of who bears responsibility.
The case also faced an early procedural delay. Service of the lawsuit on Durnan was held up until investigators located him at his Florida home following a stakeout, a detail that underscored how difficult it had become to bring him before the court. Until the cause of death is established and the judge rules on the exoneration request, the family's claims will remain on hold, and the question of whether the owner can escape a full damages award will shape the outcome.
Source: foxnews.com
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