Not only because she was taken at the height of her creativity, but because her final moments were spent doing what any mother would hope to do: protecting her children.

Holiday in Mexico
On 18 December 2000, the beloved British singer-songwriter, known for her sharp wit, soaring voice and the timeless Christmas duet ‘Fairytale of New York’, was on holiday in Cozumel, Mexico with her sons Jamie and Louis and her partner, James Knight. It was meant to be a rare break after 18 months of uninterrupted work.

Instead, it became the scene of an unthinkable tragedy.

While diving with her boys in what was marked as a watercraft-restricted zone, a large powerboat sped illegally into the area. As the trio surfaced, Kirsty spotted the boat heading straight for them. In the split second she had, she pushed her son Jamie out of its path, an act that saved his life.

But Kirsty was killed instantly.

In a statement given to police hours after the accident, Jamie described the horrific condition of his mother’s body, saying there was a massive wound that looked as if she had been “almost split in two.” Sadly, his description was accurate.

Two separate autopsies — one conducted in Mexico and another by forensic pathologist Dr. Richard Shepherd at St George’s Hospital Medical School in London — confirmed the extent of the trauma. MacColl had been cut open from the base of her neck down to her waist, with her left leg and part of her torso nearly severed by the impact.