Autopsy Reveals Ketamine in System of Reality TV Star’s Friend After Fatal Fall at Florida Ruins

New details have emerged surrounding the tragic death of Victoria Zardoya, the 20-year-old childhood friend of Real Housewives of New Jersey star Milania Giudice, after an autopsy revealed several substances in her system at the time of her fatal fall in Florida.

According to the medical examiner’s report, Zardoya’s blood tested positive for ketamine and norketamine, a substance produced when the body breaks down ketamine. The toxicology results also detected alcohol and etomidate, a medication commonly used for anesthesia and sedation.

The blood sample was collected on July 24, the day Zardoya suffered the injuries that would ultimately claim her life. However, the report does not establish when or why the substances were present, or whether any of them contributed to the accident.

Zardoya was exploring the historic Fort Dade ruins on Egmont Key, off Florida’s Gulf Coast, with friends when she fell down multiple levels of a staircase. The group initially believed she had fallen only one level before realizing the seriousness of the situation.

Friends rushed to reach her and called emergency services. Flares were also launched from nearby boats to help rescuers locate the group. Zardoya was eventually transported from the island and airlifted to hospital.

She died on July 26, aged just 20. The medical examiner listed the cause of death as craniocerebral trauma, describing severe head injuries that included skull fractures and bleeding around the brain. Her death was officially classified as accidental.

The tragedy devastated Milania Giudice, who had shared a close friendship with Zardoya since childhood. Milania’s father, Joe Giudice, previously paid an emotional tribute, describing Victoria as someone he had watched grow up alongside his daughter and saying she had become part of their family.

Milania also publicly remembered her friend, expressing her heartbreak over the loss and the future they had expected to share.

The newly disclosed toxicology findings have added another layer of detail to the case, but they do not explain what caused the fall. The available medical findings do not establish that the substances detected played any role in the accident.