Nurse, 34, Struggled with Postpartum Depression Before Being Found Dead in River Weeks After Going Missing

A nurse in England who went missing nearly a month before her body was found in a river had been struggling with serious mental health challenges, including postpartum depression, her family and loved ones told a U.K. court.

On Wednesday, Sept. 3, relatives and close friends of Victoria Taylor, 34, spoke during an inquest at Northallerton Coroners’ Court. They shared that she had battled depression, expressed suicidal thoughts, and often turned to alcohol to cope with childhood trauma before her disappearance, The Times reported.

Taylor vanished from her home in Malton, North Yorkshire, on the morning of Sept. 30, 2024, according to the outlet. Weeks later, on Oct. 22, her body was discovered in the River Derwent after she had been reported missing on Oct. 1, North Yorkshire Police said. Her belongings were found near where her body was recovered.

Her fiancé, Matthew Williams, and her sister, Emma Worden, told the inquest that Taylor developed postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter, Nancy, in September 2022, The Times noted.

According to the BBC, coroner Catherine Cundy said she could not confirm whether Taylor — known to loved ones as Vixx — had intended to end her life when she entered the river.

Toxicology results showed Taylor had alcohol in her system at the time of her death, The Times reported. Cundy ruled her medical cause of death as drowning.

The inquest also revealed that Taylor had been rescued from the same river just two months earlier, in July 2024, and was taken to the hospital. In August, she was admitted to the ER after overdosing on antidepressants and paracetamol, The Times added.

Her family said she had repeatedly asked for help but was left without proper mental health support, according to the BBC.

During the hearing, Worden criticized representatives of Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV), saying their care went “round in circles,” The Guardian reported. “Nobody looked her in the eye and said: ‘We will help you,’ and she’s not here now because you failed her,” Worden told the court.

Coroner Cundy announced she will submit a Prevention of Future Deaths report regarding the care Taylor received. She said she found it “difficult to understand” why community mental health services repeatedly refused to support Taylor, even as her struggles grew worse, the BBC reported.

Cundy also noted that while several agencies were involved with Taylor, the focus remained mostly on her alcohol use instead of her deeper trauma, according to The Independent.

Taylor, who had worked as a dementia care unit manager for 14 years before becoming a nurse, was remembered by Williams as a “wonderful person, loving partner and a doting mother,” the BBC reported.

In a statement shared with PEOPLE by North Yorkshire Police, Worden honored her sister’s life:
“Vixx was a devoted mother, a loving fiancée, and a fiercely loyal sister. She showed up for those she loved with warmth, humor, and deep care. Her relationships were central to her identity, and she gave everything she had to protect and support the people around her.”

Worden added that Taylor had reached out for help many times but was continually let down:
“The failures in her care were not isolated. They were part of a wider pattern of systemic neglect and underfunding in mental health services. Vixx deserved better. She deserved to be seen, heard, and supported. Instead, she was left to carry burdens alone.”

She said her sister’s death should serve as a call for accountability: “Her death is a tragedy — but it must also be a turning point.”

Elspeth Devanney, group director for nursing and quality at TEWV, issued condolences to Taylor’s family in a statement to PEOPLE. She said that after Taylor’s death, the trust completed a review and made changes to improve services. “We will respond to the coroner’s report and continue working to provide high-quality care to our communities,” she added.