Nurse, 34, Suffered Postpartum Depression Before Being Found Dead in River

A nurse in England who went missing almost a month before her body was found in a river struggled with a series of mental health issues, including postpartum depression prior to her death, her family and loved ones shared in a U.K. court.

On Wednesday, Sept. 3, those closest to nurse and mom Victoria Taylor, 34, shared in an inquest at Northallerton Coroners’ Court in England that she had also expressed suicidal thoughts and used alcohol as a coping mechanism to mask childhood trauma before she disappeared, The Times reports.

Taylor disappeared from her home in Malton, North Yorkshire, on the morning of Sept. 30, 2024, the outlet noted. 

Weeks later, her body was discovered in the River Derwent at 11:45 a.m. local time on Oct. 22, after she was reported missing on Oct. 1, per a previous North Yorkshire Police news release. Taylor’s belongings had been located close to where her body was found.

Before her death, Taylor had developed postpartum depression following the birth of her daughter, Nancy, in September 2022, her fiancé, Matthew Williams, and her eldest sister, Emma Worden, said in the hearing, per The Times.

According to the BBC, North Yorkshire coroner Catherine Cundy said she could not be sure whether Taylor, also known to her loved ones as Vixx, had intended to take her own life when she entered the river. 

Taylor had alcohol in her system at the time of her death, The Times reported. Coroner Cundy listed the medical cause of death as drowning.

Taylor had previously been rescued from the river in July 2024, two months before her death, and had been taken to hospital, the BBC noted per the inquest. 

In August of last year, she was then taken to the ER after overdosing on antidepressants and paracetamol, according to The Times.

Taylor’s family said during the inquest that she’d “been failed” and left without the mental health support she needed, per the BBC.

During the hearing, Taylor’s sister, Worden, turned to representatives of Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS foundation trust (TEWV) and accused them of going “round in circles,” The Guardian reported.

Worden said, “Nobody looked her in the eye and said: ‘We will help you,’ and she’s not here now because you failed her,” per the outlet.

Coroner Cundy said she would be submitting a Prevention of Future Deaths report regarding the mental health care Taylor received, per the BBC.

Cundy said during the hearing she found it “difficult to understand” why community mental health services had repeatedly declined to offer their support as Taylor’s struggles got worse during 2024, the outlet reported.

Coroner Cundy acknowledged that multiple agencies were involved with Taylor, but said the focus appeared to be on her alcohol problems rather than addressing her “unresolved trauma issues,” per The Independent.

Taylor, who worked as the manager of a dementia unit at a care home and had been a carer for 14 years before becoming a nurse, was described as a “wonderful person, loving partner and a doting mother” in a statement from her fiancé, Williams, according to the BBC.

Worden said in a statement sent to PEOPLE by North Yorkshire Police, “I submit this statement with deep love and sorrow, to [honor Taylor’s] life and to ensure that the circumstances surrounding her death are fully and truthfully understood.”

“Vixx was a devoted mother, a loving fiancée, and a fiercely loyal sister. She showed up for those she loved with warmth, [humor], and a deep sense of care. Her relationships were central to her identity, and she gave everything she had to protect and support the people around her,” she added.

Worden continued, “She also lived with challenges, These were not hidden. She reached out for help. She made herself visible to services. And yet, time and again, she was failed and left without the support she needed.”

“The failures in her care were not isolated incidents. They were part of a wider pattern of systemic neglect and under-resourcing in mental health services. Vixx deserved better. She deserved to be seen, heard, and supported. Instead, she was left to carry burdens alone,” she explained.

“Her death is a tragedy—but it must also be a turning point. Let this inquest be a step toward accountability, learning, and change,” Worden said. “I submit this statement in memory of Vixx, and in pursuit of truth and justice — not just for her, but for every person failed by the systems meant to protect.”

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Elspeth Devanney, group director for nursing and quality at TEWV, sent the trust’s “deepest condolences” to Taylor’s family at this “incredibly difficult time” in a statement shared by the BBC.

“Following Victoria’s tragic death, we completed a review and have made changes to improve our services,” she added.

“We will respond to the coroner’s report and take action to continue to improve and provide high-quality care to the people in our communities,” the statement said.

The North Yorkshire coroner and the Tees Esk and Wear Valley NHS Foundation Trust (TEWV) didn’t immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information.

If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.