They Heard Her Screams
Wayne heard a woman shrieking for help: "Somebody please help me, I'm drowning!"
She and her boyfriend made a call to the harbormaster, but nobody answered. The cries went on until 11:30 p.m. The pair uneasily declared that it was probably a joke; there was a boat moored on the nearby island hosting a party. Meanwhile, Wagner refused to call anyone about Wood's disappearance until 1:30 in the morning.
Wood's sister Lana couldn't understand the circumstances surrounding her death.
How Did She Drown?
"She never would have left the boat like that, undressed, in just a nightgown," Lana said.
How had Natalie Wood, who was notoriously afraid of water, ended up dying from her worst fear? Investigators puzzled over the same question. Fortunately, Wood's case wasn't buried with the coroner report. In fact, it continued for decades—with new leads being discovered as recently as 2018.