Buzz
Inspired by similar lists from The List Universe about famous individuals who met tragic ends, I thought it would be intriguing to create a list of well-known people who perished by drowning. I aimed to make this list both captivating and informative, complete with images, videos, and interesting facts about the incidents. Writing this list has certainly been an educational experience!
A quick reminder to all Mytourrs: As summer approaches, please exercise caution while in the water.
12. Carol Wayne
Profession: Actress Born: 09/06/1942 Date of Drowning: 01/13/1985 Age at the Time of Her Death: 42
Anyone who appreciates Johnny Carson is likely familiar with Carol Wayne. She famously portrayed the charming and alluring matinee lady in the tea-time movie sketches. Throughout her career, she also appeared in numerous TV shows.
The more I uncovered about the events leading up to Carol Wayne’s drowning, the more suspicious it appeared. Wayne and her companion, Edward Durston, were on vacation in Mexico when it was reported that they had a disagreement. She allegedly went for a walk along the beach afterward. Her body was discovered three days later by a local fisherman. Upon further investigation, authorities learned that Durston had left the resort the same day of the argument, abandoning Wayne’s luggage at the airport. An autopsy conducted in Mexico revealed no traces of drugs or alcohol in Wayne’s system.
But there’s more to this story… Edward Durston was also the friend and the only person present with Diane Linkletter (daughter of Art Linkletter) when she tragically jumped to her death from her high-rise apartment’s kitchen window on October 4, 1969.
It could be a string of tragic accidents, but something about it all feels unsettling to me.
11. Joe Delaney
Profession: Football player for the Kansas City Chiefs, specializing as a running back. Born on 10/03/1958. Tragically, he drowned on 06/29/1983 at the age of 24.
One of the most heroic drownings on this list is that of Delaney, who heroically dove into a Louisiana pond to try to save three children trapped in a water hole caused by recent construction. Although Delaney wasn't a strong swimmer, he dove in anyway, rescuing one child before tragically drowning along with two others. His selflessness was remembered by 3,000 people who attended his memorial service.
10. Robert Maxwell
Profession: British media mogul. Born on 06/10/1923, he passed away by drowning on 11/05/1991, at the age of 68.
Maxwell is believed to have accidentally fallen overboard from his opulent yacht while sailing near the Canary Islands. His body was later discovered drifting in the Atlantic Ocean. The official ruling was accidental drowning. In early 2006, it was revealed that prior to his death, Maxwell was under investigation for potential war crimes in Germany dating back to 1945, sparking new speculation that his demise may have been a suicide.
Maxwell’s passing unleashed a wave of revelations concerning his business practices and activities. It was uncovered that he had, without authorization, raided his companies' pension funds to the tune of hundreds of millions of pounds, using the money to cover corporate debts and support his extravagant lifestyle. As a result, thousands of Maxwell's employees lost their pensions.
9. Joe Flynn
Profession: Actor Date of Birth: 11/08/1924 Date of Drowning: 07/19/1974 Age at Death: 49
Anyone familiar with the show 'McHale’s Navy' will recognize Joe Flynn, who also made appearances in numerous Disney films.
This incident is yet another drowning with strange circumstances. Shortly after completing voiceover work for Disney’s animated movie, The Rescuers (1977), 49-year-old Joe Flynn was found by his family in the swimming pool at his Beverly Hills home. It appears he entered the pool with a cast on his broken leg. His body was located at the bottom of the pool, weighed down by the cast. Some celebrity friends, including Merv Griffith, raised concerns about the unusual situation surrounding Flynn’s death, but authorities found no signs of foul play. Many believe Flynn may have suffered a heart attack while swimming.
8. Jeff Buckley
Profession: Singer-Songwriter and Guitarist, Son of singer/songwriter Tim Buckley Date of Birth: 11/17/1966 Date of Drowning: 5/29/1997 Age at Death: 30
On the day he was set to reunite with his band to continue recording an album, Jeff Buckley unexpectedly decided to swim fully clothed in the Mississippi River. He was swept away by the wake of a passing boat and vanished. Despite a thorough rescue operation that evening, Buckley remained missing. On June 4, his body was recovered. A posthumous album titled Sketches for My Sweetheart the Drunk was released in 1998, and in 2007, the 10th anniversary of his death was commemorated with tributes held worldwide, including in Australia, Belgium, Canada, the UK, Iceland, Ireland, Macedonia, France, and the USA.
7. Art Porter
Profession: Jazz Saxophonist, Son of the legendary jazz musician Art Porter, Sr. Date of Birth: 08/03/1961 Date of Drowning: 11/23/1996 Age at Death: 35
Porter traveled to Thailand to perform at the Thailand International Jazz Festival. After the festival, he went boating on the Kratha Taek reservoir. Tragically, the boat he was on capsized, and Porter, along with several others, drowned. He was survived by his wife and two sons. In 1998, a posthumous album titled For Art’s Sake was released in his memory. Porter’s charm and exceptional talent are showcased in the clip above.
6. Jessica Savitch
Profession: News Correspondent and Anchorwoman Date of Birth: 02/01/1947 Date of Drowning: 10/23/1983 Age at Death: 36
For those not from the States or too young to remember, Jessica Savitch was a highly skilled reporter and anchorwoman with a promising future ahead. I remember hearing about her tragic passing, and what made it even more heartbreaking was the manner in which she died.
Savitch had dinner with Martin Fischbein, the vice-president of the New York Post, in New Hope, Pennsylvania. After their meal, they began driving home around 7:15 PM. Fischbein was driving while Savitch sat in the back seat with her dog, Chewy. In the heavy rain, Fischbein missed several posted warning signs and accidentally took the wrong exit from the restaurant. The car ended up on the towpath of the Pennsylvania Canal alongside the Delaware River. The vehicle veered off and plunged into the shallow water, landing upside down, and sank into deep mud, which sealed the doors shut. Savitch and Fischbein were trapped as water flooded the car. When the car was discovered, Fischbein’s body was still strapped to the driver’s seat, with Savitch and her dog in the back. After autopsies, the coroner determined both had died from asphyxiation due to drowning. The coroner also noted that Fischbein had likely been knocked unconscious in the crash, while Savitch had attempted to escape. No evidence of drugs or alcohol played a role in the incident.
5. Josef Mengele
Profession: Nazi Camp Doctor at Auschwitz Date of Birth: 3/16/1911 Date of Drowning: 02/07/1979 Age at Death: 67
If there were a list of people most deserving of drowning, Mengele would certainly be near the top. And ironically, he did meet this fate, though many would argue it came too late. While swimming in the sea, Mengele accidentally drowned, possibly due to a stroke, in Bertioga, Brazil, where he had been living under the alias 'Wolfgang Gerhard.'
4. John Jacob Astor IV
Profession: Businessman, Inventor, Writer Date of Birth: 7/13/1864 Date of Drowning: 4/15/1912 Age at Death: 49
This is undoubtedly the most famous drowning incident on this list involving a well-known person. John Jacob Astor IV was the wealthiest passenger aboard the Titanic and hailed from one of the wealthiest families in the United States.
After the collision, Astor left his suite to assess the situation. He quickly returned and reassured his pregnant wife that the ship had struck an iceberg, but the damage did not seem severe. Even as lifeboats were being loaded, Astor remained calm and mocked the idea of leaving the solid decks of the Titanic for a small lifeboat. However, by 1:45 AM, when Second Officer Charles Lightoller arrived on A Deck to complete loading Lifeboat 4, Astor’s attitude changed. He helped his wife onto the lifeboat and asked if he could join her, given her ‘delicate condition.’ Lightoller informed him that no men were allowed on the lifeboats until all women and children had been safely loaded.
Astor's remains were retrieved on Monday, April 22, by the cable ship McKay-Bennett. Reports indicate that his body was found covered in soot and blood, leading to the assumption that he was struck by the first funnel as it collapsed when the Titanic made its final descent.
Below is the official list of items found on body number 124
CLOTHING – Blue serge suit; blue handkerchief with 'A.V.'; belt with a gold buckle; brown boots with red rubber soles; brown flannel shirt; 'J.J.A.' marked on the back of the collar. EFFECTS – Gold watch; gold cuff links with diamonds; a three-stone diamond ring; £225 in English banknotes; $2440 in banknotes; £5 in gold; 7 shillings in silver; 5 ten-franc pieces; a gold pencil; a pocketbook.
3. Natalie Wood
Profession: Actress Date of Birth: 07/20/1938 Date of Drowning: 11/29/1981 Age at Death: 43
If you were to ask people to name a well-known individual who drowned, Natalie Wood’s name would likely come up in 9 out of 10 responses.
She would also rank highly, if not at the top, in any list of the most beautiful women in Hollywood. I had a childhood crush on her, and I vividly remember the sadness I felt when I first learned of her passing. It's almost unbelievable that she’s been gone for more than 26 years. The circumstances surrounding her drowning remain mysterious to this day.
After Thanksgiving, Natalie Wood, her husband Robert Wagner, and Christopher Walken, whom she was working with on a film, went for a weekend trip to Catalina Island. It’s believed that Natalie Wood either attempted to leave the yacht or secure a dinghy that was banging against the hull when she tragically slipped and fell overboard. Later, a witness nearby reported hearing cries for help around midnight, which lasted for approximately 15 minutes. The voice of someone else responded, saying, 'Take it easy. We’ll be over to get you.' The witness remembered, 'It was laid back. There was no urgency or immediacy.' Following an investigation by Los Angeles County coroner Thomas Noguchi, the official verdict was that her death was an accidental drowning. Noguchi found that Wood had consumed several glasses of wine and was intoxicated at the time of her death. There were bruises and marks on her body, possibly resulting from her fall.
Contributor: Blogball
2. Dennis Wilson
Profession: Musician, Drummer for the Beach Boys Date of Birth: 12/04/1944 Date of Drowning: 12/28/1983 Age at Death: 39
Wilson was aboard a friend's yacht and, after a few drinks, he declared he was going for a swim. His friends thought he was crazy, given how cold the water was, but he dove in and swam toward the spot where his old yacht had once been moored. When he resurfaced, he was holding a picture of his ex-wife, which he had thrown from the yacht years earlier. He dived again to search for more treasures, but this time, he never came up. Known for his practical jokes, his friends initially assumed he was just playing around. They even checked local bars thinking he might be hiding. After a 45-minute search by four divers working in the dark with poles to probe the ocean floor, they found Wilson’s body in 13 feet of water.
1. Brian Jones
Profession: Musician, Former Rolling Stone Date of Birth: 2/28/1942 Date of Drowning: 7/3/1969 Age at Death: 27
Brian Jones' drowning remains a suspicious event. Around midnight, he was found motionless at the bottom of his swimming pool at his home in Hartfield, Sussex, England. His girlfriend, Anna Wohlin, claimed he was still alive when they pulled him from the pool, saying he had a pulse. However, by the time doctors arrived, it was too late, and he was declared dead. The coroner's report revealed that his liver and heart were greatly enlarged due to drug and alcohol abuse. Some speculated it was a suicide, blaming Mick Jagger and Keith Richards for contributing to his mental decline. In 1999, Wohlin suggested that Jones had been murdered by a builder renovating the couple's house. The builder, Frank Thorogood, allegedly confessed to the crime on his deathbed to the Rolling Stones' driver, Tom Keylock, but there were no other witnesses.
