Social media influencer, Lee MacMillan has died. Known on Instagram and YouTube for van trips through Canada and South America, MacMillan “took her life” on March 26, according to a post shared on her Instagram account. Local outlets report MacMillan was hit and killed by an Amtrak train near Santa Barbara, California. She was 28.
In the post, MacMillan was remembered as “the brightest light, a magnetic force of nature and was loved by so so many.” The statement added that “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.” The memorial post went on to request that fans “spread the message that mental health is just as real as physical health and that illness can strike anyone,” urging followers to ask for help, it’s absolutely necessary to ask for help and also “talk to your loved ones. Check in. Ask them genuinely how they’re doing. Be available to help. To listen. To offer help. Remove the stigma of asking for help.” It also reflected on MacMillan’s own struggles with mental health, noting that the 28-year-old “was candid and open about her own struggles” and was “receiving help: from professionals, from family, from friends.”
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“Let’s spread the awareness of this issue, for Lee and everyone else who needs to hear this: [speak up for Lee],” it continued. “And hold your loved ones tight. Tell them you love them. Because life can change in an instant. We will miss her with every fiber of our hearts.”
According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, MacMillan was hit and killed by a train on Friday, Mach 26, KEYT reported. Authorities said MacMillan had recently been reported missing after she left her Santa Barbara home without taking her car, wallet, keys, ID, and cell phone. Authorities said they feared that MacMillan may have been suicidal. The Independent reports that just months before her passing, on Dec. 5, MacMillan had opened up about her struggles with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts in a video shared to Instagram.
MacMillan, a Canadian citizen who was living in Santa Barbara for about six months, was known for her globe-trotting. Since 2016, she had been documenting her travels from Canada to the tip of South America in a Dodge Sprinter with her then-boyfriend and fellow traveler, Max Bidstrup and their dog, Occy. Following the couple’s split in January 2020, MacMillan continued her travels in a Sprinter Tour of Morocco with other influencers. In January of this year, she shared with fans that she had acquired a camper van of her own and was reconstructing its interior to turn it into a “new adventure mobile.”
If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741-741.
