The mystery around a young Instagram model and influencer from Australia who has died in Greece, continues, with information around the incident coming forward all through the week.
Sinead McNamara, 20, unexpectedly passed away while working as a crew member on the luxury yacht Mayan Queen IV, a 92-metre-long yacht worth US$140 million, which belongs to Mexican billionaire and the chair of Mexico’s second-largest mining company, Albero Baillères.
Anchored off the port of Argostoli in Kefalonia, the young model was found hanging off the boat in a coma. Crew members and a doctor took Sinead back on board and made numerous unsuccessful attempts to resuscitate her. An ambulance transferred the 20-year-old to a local hospital, and she passed away while being flown via helicopter to a hospital in Athens.
“I have unfortunately received the worst news of my life, (Sinead) has passed away,” the model’s brother, Jake McNamara confirmed on Saturday.
Sinead, who was from Port Macquarie in northern New South Wales, had been working on the yacht for four months and was soon to be reunited with her mother and sister, who were on the plane headed to Greece to meet up with the model when they tragically discovered the shocking news.
“Happy birthday to the most amazing big sister I could ever ask for, 5 days till I get to see you!!! Excitement is an understatement ❤️,” Sinead wrote on Facebook on 26 August in anticipation of the reunion.
While the circumstances surrounding her death have yet to be confirmed, local media on the island have speculated that the Australian may have committed suicide.
“Local port authorities were informed at two o’clock Friday morning that the body of the woman was found hanging from a rope outside the yacht,” one local report claimed.
“By the looks of it, she took her own life. We expect the autopsy to verify this in the coming days,” a senior officer told The Sunday Times.
Two weeks before her death, Sinead had posted a photo of herself on a quad bike in Greece with the caption: “My head is all over the shop today. Take me back to this where my only worry was not cracking my skull open” – a post which has added to speculation that the young model may have taken her own life.
All members of the crew will have been interviewed by detectives followed by a forensic examination of the vessel which has now sailed off Kefalonia.
However, the Argostoli Port Authority is still investigating the cause of the sudden death, and the Coast Guard of Kefalonia has ordered an autopsy. While initial evidence gathered by the coast guard suggested the Instagram influencer took her own life, the deceased’s family suspects foul play.
The family released a statement yesterday through their lawyer, Haralambos Triandafylopoulos, who revealed that Ms McNamara reached out to her family before the fatal incident.
“(Sinead) had communicated by telephone with her mother and brother shortly before the unfortunate incident under investigation,” the statement read.
“She was crying and referred to an incident that took place on the yacht with another crew member.
“The parents also state that Sinead was not having any problems, she often communicated with her family and she was happy.
“For these reasons, the family finds it crucial to thoroughly investigate both the conditions of death and the events and incidents that preceded this event in order to reveal the full truth and learn what actually happened and led their 20-year-old daughter to death.”
The final cause of death will therefore not be announced until lab tests are completed, which could take a month or more.
