‘ER’ actress Mary Mara’s cause of death is announced

“ER” actress Mary Mara died from asphyxiation and drowning in upstate New York over the weekend, state police announced Wednesday.

The cause of death was released three days after Mara, 61, was found dead in the St. Lawrence River in Cape Vincent.

“The Jefferson County Medical Examiner’s Office performed a post-mortem examination and determined that Mary Mara’s manner of death was an accident, due to asphyxiation, and water drowning,” New York State Police said in their update Wednesday.

Officials are continuing to investigate Mara’s death. Earlier Monday, a rep for Mara said her family was awaiting more information from the investigation, and that her sister thought it was possible the actress could have slipped.

Authorities said in a previous announcement Monday that an initial investigation suggested Mara had drowned.

“The victim’s body showed no signs of foul play,” state police said at the time.

The Syracuse-born Mara had a recurring role as Loretta Sweet on “ER” during the mid-1990s. She also starred on the 1990s police drama series “Nash Bridges,” and appeared on episodes of “Law & Order,” “NYPD Blue” and “Criminal Minds” during a career that spanned multiple decades. She also played Billy Crystal’s daughter in the 1992 film “Mr. Saturday Night.”