Medical Examiner Rules How Missing Bartender Died

New Hope bartender was drunk when she accidentally drowned in Lambertville canal, medical examiner says

A New Hope bartender whose body was found in the icy water of the D & R canal in Lambertville, N.J. Jan. 30 was drunk when she died from accidental drowning.

Toxicology results showed that Sarah Majoras had a "high level of alcohol content in the blood" at the time of her death, Hunterdon County Prosecutor Anthony Kearns, III, said in a release Monday.

The county medical examiner determined that Majoras' drowning was "tragic accident," Kearns said. 

Majoras was a beloved bartender in the neighboring town of New Hope, Pa. The discovery of her body ended a four-day, intense search by family, friends, law enforcement and volunteers.

Investigators said all along they didn't suspect foul play. In the days following Majoras' death, the medical examiner who performed the autopsy said there were no signs of trauma to Majoras' body. All of her clothing and her belongings were intact when she was pulled up from the icy canal.

She was last seen, in surveillance video, crossing the bridge from New Hope over to Lambertville in the early hours of Jan. 26 as she walked to the home she shared with her boyfriend.

When she never made it home, the boyfriend called 911 and the search for Sarah began.

A break in the case came when a freelance photographer found a leather boot in the canal. She snapped a photo and alerted police. Friends said the boot belonged to Majoras. Shortly after that, the 39-year-old's body was found in the canal behind the Lambertville train station.

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