Actress Mary Mara, known for star turns in “ER” and “Criminal Minds,” has apparently drowned while swimming in the St. Lawrence River at Cape Vincent, New York, authorities said.
Mara, who was 61, was visiting her sister Martha’s summer home when the “apparent swimming accident” occurred, the actress’ brother-in-law, Scott Dailey, told People.
“The preliminary investigation suggests the victim drowned while swimming,” New York State Police said in a statement. “The victim’s body showed no signs of foul play and was transported to the Jefferson County Medical Examiner’s Office pending an autopsy to determine an official cause of death.”
Her body was discovered Sunday morning, state police said, after someone reported a possible drowning. Troopers and other first responders arrived to find “a female deceased in the St. Lawrence River,” the statement said, and identified the actress. They said the investigation was continuing.
Mara was “one of the finest actresses I ever met,” her manager, Craig Dorfman, told People in confirming the death. “She was electric, funny, and a true individual. Everyone loved her. She will be missed.”
Cape Vincent is near where Lake Ontario meets the great waterway that forms the border between New York and Quebec.
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