More than 40 years after Natalie Wood drowned near Santa Catalina Island, a celebrity coroner stated the late actress’ death could have been avoided. In her new book, L.A. Coroner: Thomas Noguchi and Death in Hollywood, author Anne Soon Choi revealed that Dr. Thomas Noguchi, the coroner who performed Natalie Wood’s autopsy, stated had she worn a lifejacket, she would have survived.
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Wood, 43, was discovered floating lifelessly close to her family’s yacht near Catalina Island during Thanksgiving weekend 1981. The coroner revealed that the late actress was wearing a flannel nightgown, wool socks, and a 40-pound red parka.
“When he scrutinized the parka more carefully, he realized it weighed between thirty to forty pounds in its saturated state,” Choi wrote, per RadarOnline. “Her sodden parka had caused her to drown. He was filled with sadness. The weight of her jacket had pulled her back down when she attempted to climb into the dinghy.”
The coroner remained “puzzled” as to why Natalie Wood didn’t just swim back to the yacht. The vessel was a few feet away from where she was discovered.
Toxicology reports determined that the actress had a blood alcohol level of .12. This made the coroner note that alcohol “played a significant role” in her death.
He also questioned whether Wood may have been trying to escape her husband, Robert Wagner, that night. However, the true reason remains a mystery.
“Noguchi knew this was true,” Choi continued. “The other related question was why she didn’t return to the yacht when she fell into the water — she was, he thought, determined to get away.”
An Argument Between Natalie Wood’s Husband Robert Wagner and Christopher Walken Occurred Just Before the Actress’ Mysterious Death
Meanwhile, an investigator later told the coroner that an argument erupted between Wagner and actor Christopher Walken. Walken worked with Wood on Brainstorm and was on the actress’ family yacht that weekend.
“All of us were taken aback by the implications of this idea,” Choi’s book says. “It fell right into the hands of those who had been speculating that some scandal on the yacht had contributed to the famous star’s death.”
Just after Wood’s body was discovered, Wagner told law enforcement he realized she was missing after a night out with Walken. He then realized the dinghy was missing and called for help.
Although his attorney initially dismissed the argument story, Wagner revealed that he and Walken “had been drinking and did in fact argue over Walken’s belief that Wood was not devoting herself to her acting career as fully as he was.”
“Wagner admitted that he had shouted at Walken, ‘Why the f— don’t you stay out of her career? She’s got enough people telling her what to do,” Choi wrote. “Wagner then picked up an empty wine bottle and smashed it on a table in a fit of rage.”
Natalie Wood’s cause of death was listed as “drowning.” However, Wagner has continued to be a “person of interest” in the late actress’ death.
Wood and Wagner were married from 1957 to 1962. They remarried in 1972 and shared a daughter, Courtney. Wood also had a daughter, Natasha Gregson Wagner, with her second husband, Richard Gregson.