'Drunk' British stewardess, 32, just a week into new job died of broken spine

A stewardess found dead on a £6 million luxury yacht fractured her spine when she fell down a step to her cabin after a night out, an inquest heard.

Rebecca Boyle, 32, of Burghclere, Hampshire, was discovered the next morning on board the La Polonia, which was moored in the Italian Riviera port of Imperia.

Ms Boyle had been out drinking vodka with a friend on the night of England's World Cup victory over Colombia on July 3 before she was escorted to her cabin. 

The next morning Ms Boyle, who had only been working on the boat for a week, was found in an 'unnatural position' with catastrophic injuries in the cabin where she slept alone.

Italian authorities investigated and found the cause of her death was serious traumatic injury and fracture of the spine.

Coroner Heidi Connor told Berkshire Coroner's Court: 'This is a particularly sad and tragic death. 

'At around 7.10am on July 4, emergency services reported the presence of a dead body on board La Polonia. A member of the crew said someone fell ill on board.

'Once on board the leisure vessel, a female body was found lying on the ground, belly downwards, wearing a swimsuit.'





MailOnline