A fortnight after an Australian Instagram model was found hanging from the back of a luxury superyacht, unanswered questions still surround her sudden death.
Sinead McNamara, 20, from Port Macquarie on the New South Wales Mid North Coast, died on her last day working on the Mayan Queen IV in the Greek Islands.
The social media star was flown to hospital after being spotted by the captain of another vessel in the early hours of August 31, but died in a helicopter en route.
Her death came as her mother and sister were flying to join her in Europe, and the family have been left unconvinced by a report by one of Greece’s chief coroners.
Ms McNamara’s loved ones are now demanding a full investigation from authorities as mystery surrounds her ex-boyfriend, and a final crying phone call.
The owner of the $190million vessel – Mexican billionaire Alberto Bailleres – is yet to speak out about the tragedy, or explain the ship’s route after Ms McNamara’s death.
Ms McNamara will be farewelled at a funeral service in her home town on Saturday, with mourners urged to wear what ‘Sinead would want them to’.
Sinead McNamara, 20, from Port Macquarie on the New South Wales Mid North Coast, died on her last day working on the Mayan Queen IV in the Greek Islands
The social media star (pictured) was flown to hospital after being spotted by the captain of another vessel in the early hours of August 31, but died in a helicopter en route
DID SHE COMMIT SUICIDE?
Coroner Elias Boyiokas said the cause of death was hanging, and no other injuries were found on the body.
Mr Boyiokas is awaiting the results of a toxicology test in order to find out whether Ms McNamara was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
‘We are talking about suicide. Now, if there was some argument, something ugly, it still needs to be proven. I have done all possible tests,’ Mr Boyiokas said.
‘There was no evidence of ill-treatment … my verdict is death by hanging but there were signs that she may have tried to stop it.’
But Ms McNamara’s family have doubts about the suicide theory and are calling for a full investigation.
‘The parents also state that Sinead was not having any problems, she often communicated with her family and she was happy,’ the family’s lawyer in Greece, Charalampos Triantafyllopoulos, said in a statement.
The Mayan Queen IV is owned by billionaire mining magnate Alberto Bailleres, Mexico’s second richest man
WHERE IS HER EX-BOYFRIEND?
Crew members told police investigating Ms McNamara’s death she was struggling with a bad break-up, local media reported.
The accounts prompted police to pore over messages and photographs on the Australian hostess’s phone.
However, Ms McNamara’s family has not mentioned a boyfriend, and there are no signs on social media the Instagram model was in a relationship.
Her photos show her enjoying her superyacht hostess life in the Greek Islands, appearing alongside a number of different men.
None of the men in Ms McNamara’s pictures have been confirmed as a boyfriend or ex-boyfriend.
Mexican billionaire Alberto Bailleres (pictured) is yet to speak out about the tragedy, or explain the ship’s route after Ms McNamara’s death
WHY HAS THE BILLIONAIRE BEEN SILENT?
The Mayan Queen IV is owned by billionaire mining magnate Alberto Bailleres, Mexico’s second richest man.
The notoriously-private tycoon left the vessel three days before Ms McNamara’s death.
When news of the tragedy broke Mr Bailleres was in his family mansion in Mexico City, and declined to comment on the death aboard his boat.
Mr Bailleres appeared in public at the National Palace as a guest of Enrique Peña Nieto two days later, but again declined to comment, La Journada reported.
Ms McNamara’s family are now questioning whether the boat, now docked on the party island of Ibiza, left before the investigation was fully complete
WHY DID THE SUPERYACHT LEAVE FOR IBIZA?
When Mr Bailleres left the Mayan Queen IV the boat was moored at the Greek port of Argostoli, on the Greek island of Kefalonia.
On September 2, just two days after Ms McNamara’s death, the vessel was allowed to sail out of the harbour with 23 crew members on board.
The six-storey superyacht had been earlier ordered to stay in port while investigators looked into the incident, but suddenly headed for the western Mediterranean.
Ms McNamara’s family are now questioning whether the boat, now docked on the party island of Ibiza, left before the investigation was fully complete.
Crew members told police investigating Ms McNamara’s death she was struggling with a bad break-up
Just two weeks before her death, the young model penned a cryptic Instagram post which was far darker than her usual
WHAT DID HER FINAL INSTAGRAM POST MEAN?
Just two weeks before her death, the young model penned a cryptic Instagram post which was far darker than her usual.
‘My head is all over the shop today. Take me back to this where my only worry was not cracking my skull open,’ she wrote alongside a photo of herself on a quad bike.
The model was active on social media, and other posts indicated she was enjoying her life as a superyacht stewardess.
‘When in Greece … I can’t believe this fairy tale is almost over. I don’t want to leave,’ she captioned a photo of herself at a restaurant in Rhodes.
‘Living and working on a boat seeing all that the world has to offer – yep I think I have it pretty good,’ she wrote just days before that.
Why the tone of the 20-year-old’s Instagram posts changed so suddenly is still unclear.
The McNamara family lawyer revealed the young model called her family in tears the night she died
WHY WAS SHE UPSET?
The McNamara family lawyer revealed the young model called her family in tears the night she died.
‘I declare that the family is expected from the Greek authorities to respond to the causes and circumstances of her death,’ Mr Triantafyllopoulos’s statement said.
‘In particular given the fact that the deceased had communicated by telephone with her mother and brother shortly before the unfortunate incident under investigation.
‘She was crying and referred to an incident that took place on the yacht with another crew member.’
No further details about the call or the incident that prompted it have been provided by the family or the lawyer.
Video lasting several minutes shows the final moments of Ms McNamara’s (pictured) death
WHY NO CCTV?
The Mayan Queen IV is equipped with CCTV surveillance cameras, and footage of the incident was seized by Greek authorities.
Video lasting several minutes shows the final moments of Ms McNamara’s death, local media reported.
But the footage has not been released publicly, and authorities have not made a statement about the contents.
Sinead McNamara (pictured) sold all her belongings and flew to Europe to work on-board the Mayan Queen IV
TRAGIC TIMELINE OF AUSTRALIAN INSTAGRAM INFLUENCER’S DEATH
Pictured: Sinead McNamara, 20, who was from Port Macquarie, New South Wales
May: Sinead McNamara sells all her belongings and flies to Europe to work on-board Mayan Queen IV. She had previously worked on similar superyachts
May – August: The 20-year-old Australian Instagram star travels throughout Europe on the luxury yacht owned by Mexican billionaire Alberto Bailleres
Tuesday, August 28: Mr Bailleres leaves the ship at the Greek port of Argostoli and heads back to Mexico with his family
Friday, August 31 – 2am: Ms McNamara’s body is spotted at back of the ship by a passing boat
– A doctor on-board works with crew in an effort to resuscitate Ms McNamara
– She is rushed to a local clinic and later flown to an Athens hospital, but dies in the helicopter
– Ms McNamara’s mother and sister are told of her death mid-air on their way to Greece to holiday with her
Saturday, September 1: Port authorities claim early indications suggest the bikini model may have taken her own life
Sunday, September 2: The remaining crew of the Mayan Queen IV are allowed to leave Port of Argostoli
Tuesday, September 4: Coroner rules Ms McNamara died by hanging, telling her mother and sister not to visit her body in the morgue it is in ‘such a bad state’