Actress Mary Mara drowned on Sunday after going for a swim in a river in Upstate New York. It’s possible that she slipped and hit her head.
Mara’s representative, Craig Dorfman, told TMZ that investigators informed her family about the new evidence, throwing a light on their tragic loss.
On Sunday, Mara, a 61-year-old actress best known for her work on “ER,” “Ray Donovan,” and “Shameless,” drowned while swimming in the St. Lawrence River near Cape Vincent.
Investigators now think that Mara fell and injured her head while exiting the river after her swim, which led her to fall back into the water and perish.
Mara had abrasions all over her face, according to investigators.
Although the exact object she struck with during the accident is still unknown, it is thought by investigators that she made touch with something that knocked her out.
According to TMZ, investigators have ruled out any possibility of wrongdoing.
According to Mara’s representative, neither he nor Mary’s family think that drugs or alcohol contributed to Mary’s passing.
After authorities received a complaint about a probable drowning at around 8:10am on Sunday, her body was found in the sea in the town of Cape Vincent, New York.
According to her representative, she had been staying at her sister’s vacation property in the Thousand Islands, which is on one of New York State’s northernmost borders and has chilly water year-round.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports that the water temperature right now is roughly 66 degrees Fahrenheit in the vicinity of where she was discovered.
In a post from July 2019 that showed her stepping off a dock into the water and wrote, “63 degrees! Life affirming river swim, first one of the season,” Mara indicated that she loved spending time on and swimming in the St. Lawrence River.
She was described as “electric, hilarious, and a true individual” in a statement from Dorfman to People, who also said that “everyone adored her” and that “she will be missed.”
Her death was declared by the police in a statement.
The victim has been identified as 61-year-old Mary T. Mara from Cape Vincent, New York, according to a statement from the police.
“When Troopers, along with Cape Vincent Fire and Ambulance, arrived on the scene, they discovered a female deceased in the St. Lawrence River,” the statement from the police read.
According to the early inquiry, the person may have drowned while swimming. No evidence of wrongdoing was found on the victim’s body, it continued.
The Jefferson County Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct an autopsy to determine the precise cause of death.
Mary was among the best actors I have ever encountered.
In a statement, Mara’s manager, Craig Dorfman, stated, “She had a great sense of humor and a unique outlook on life. I still remember the first time that I saw her onstage in Mad Forest in 92.”
She was completely alluring, adored, and will be missed.
In an obituary received by PEOPLE, it was stated that the actress “specialized in complicated depictions of often-troubled characters; arguably the most familiar was her recurrent role in the 1990s as Loretta Sweet, a sympathetic, down-and-out prostitute and single mother on the NBC series, “ER.”
Mara worked alongside some of the top stars in the industry over her lengthy career in Hollywood, television, and on stage.
She portrayed Susan in the 1992 Billy Crystal movie Mr. Saturday Night, and from 1995 to 1996, she played Loretta Sweet on nine episodes of ER.
She has appeared on numerous television shows throughout the years, including The West Wing, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Star Trek: Enterprise, Nip/Tuck, and The Practice.
She appeared as Nance on Shameless and Mrs. Sullivan on Ray Donovan in 2013.
In the 2020 movie Break Even, she played her final role.
Mara is a Syracuse, New York, native. She studied at the Yale School of Drama and San Francisco State University.
Her stepdaughter Katie Mersola, her sisters Susan and Martha Mara, her brother-in-law Scott Dailey, and her nephew Christopher Dailey are all still alive.
Billy Crystal, who starred opposite Mara in the 1992 film Mr. Saturday Night, gave a tribute to the late actress during Tuesday’s performance of the Broadway adaption.
In response to learning of Mara’s passing, writer-actor Bill Corbett said he was “reeling and heartbroken.”
One of my soulmates for life, an early theatrical partner, and a consistent supporter and inspiration in my addiction rehabilitation, according to Corbett. “Mary, I love you.”
Hadn’t seen Mary for a few years since we met up after I watched her act in Lynn Nottage’s SWEAT at the Mark Taper Forum, he uploaded a photo of the two of them with the description, “Hadn’t seen Mary for a few years.” She was quite smart.
Actor Rainn Wilson, who plays Rainn Wilson on The Office, expressed his sadness at Mary Mara’s demise.
At the New York Shakespeare Festival, 12th Night was one of our first paid performances as a team.
I hadn’t seen her since, but I have pleasant memories of her talent and her personality. R.I.P.’
Mara was described as “funny, kind, and tremendously talented” by Smallville actor Annette O’Toole in a tweet. She also added, “I am really sorry she has left us.”
Along with a picture of the two together, General Hospital actor Jon Lindstrom wrote that he was “crushed to learn of Mary Mara’s premature passing.”
We appeared in Malcolm Danare’s In Heat at the Lost Playhouse in Los Angeles back in 2008, he recalled
When we worked, she had overcome cancer and was somehow battling the side effects of chemotherapy.
She had incredible talent and was daring, bright, humorous, and amusing.
Just before she went back to New York State, I last saw her in a play at the Music Center in DTLA, where she gave a typically excellent performance. Without her, this world will be much less vibrant. R.I.P.’
Mara was discovered about eight in the morning on Sunday in the St. Lawrence River close to Cape Vincent, according to authorities of the New York State Police on Monday.
According to the police, the victim’s body “showed no signs of foul play” and was taken to the Jefferson County Medical Examiner’s Office pending an autopsy to establish the cause of death.
Stepdaughter Katie Mersola, sisters Susan and Martha Mara, brother-in-law Scott Dailey, and nephew Christopher Dailey survive Mara.