Lee MacMillan, an influencer known for documenting her global travels in a van, has taken her own life after battling depression. She was 28.
Lee was hit and killed by an Amtrak train near Santa Barbara, Calif. on Friday, March 26, local police said, according to local ABC and FOX news affiliate KEYT. Authorities said the influencer, a Canadian citizen who was living in the Santa Barbara area for about six months, was recently reported missing and had left her home without taking her car, wallet, keys, ID and phone. KEYT reported that police said they feared that Lee may have been suicidal.
“After living an extraordinary life, and fighting a brave battle with depression, our hearts are shattered to share that Lee took her life on Friday,” read a post on her Instagram page on Monday, March 29. “She was the brightest light, a magnetic force of nature and was loved by so so many.”
Lee and Australian partner Max Bidstrup documented on Instagram and YouTube their Dodge Sprinter van trips through Canada and South America with their dog, Occy. The globe-trotting couple announced their breakup in January 2020. Occy went to live in Australia with Max, who also kept the van and continued traveling on his own.