Actress, Natalie Wood was reported missing from the yacht Splendour, near Catalina Island, on November 29th, 1981 at 5:11 a.m..  Search crews found her body later that day, and her death was ruled an accidental drowning.

History

Natalie Wood, born July 20, 1938 was an American film and television actress, who is best known for her roles in Miracle on 34th Street, Rebel Without a Cause, West Side Story, Gypsy and Splendor in the Grass.  Wood, a three-time Oscar nominee, was married to actor Robert Wagner twice and once to producer Richard Gregson and has a child by each.  At the time of her death, Natalie Wood who was 43-years old, was filming Brainstorm, a science fiction film, with co-star Christopher Walken.

Investigation

On Thanksgiving weekend 1981, Wood and her husband, Robert Wagner had invited actor Christopher Walken, to be their guest on aboard their yacht, the splendour, for a trip to Catalina Island.  After having dinner and drinks on the island, they had returned to the yacht and continued to drink and an argument had erupted.  According to Wagner, he was upset at Walken because he had advocated that Wood pursue her career at the expense of her family.  After ending their argument, both Wagner and Walken agree that they both retired to their cabins and shortly thereafter, Wagner had discovered that Natalie Wood was missing.  However, according to the yacht’s captain, Dennis Daver, after the argument between Wagner and Walken ended, Wagner had started an argument with Wood and shortly following, Wagner had reported to Davern that Wood was missing.  To further add to the speculation of her death, Roger Smith, the Los Angeles county rescue boat captain who helped recover Natalie Wood’s body from the ocean, believes that the actress could have been saved if lifeguards were alerted sooner.  Smith claims that officials were notified four hours after Wood was discovered missing from the yacht.  However, Wagner, Walken and the coroner’s officials all have maintained that Wood’s death was an accident, possibly caused by her trying to secure a dinghy to the side of the yacht.