British influencer Ebony McIntosh passed away at the age of 24 on Saturday, February 1, while vacationing in Sri Lanka. Her sister, India, shared on a GoFundMe page that the trip was intended to be the first stop in McIntosh’s dream of traveling across South Asia. With a social media audience of 10,000 followers, McIntosh was known for sharing fashion, travel, and lifestyle content.
During her stay at a hostel, she suddenly became very ill, experiencing severe nausea and vomiting. Several others were also affected and taken to the hospital for treatment. According to India, McIntosh struggled to breathe upon arrival at the medical facility and tragically passed away just a few hours later.
Per the Daily Mail, Ebony was among two guests who suddenly passed away after allegedly being exposed to pesticides used to eliminate bed bugs at the backpackers’ hostel where they were staying. Ebony McIntosh and a German guest exhibited the same symptoms and were rushed to the hospital. However, both tragically died within hours of their arrival.
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Ebony McIntosh had only departed the UK for Sri Lanka on January 28, marking the first stop on her long-anticipated tour of South Asia—a trip she had spent months planning and researching. The exact cause of her death remains unknown,
However, reports from Sri Lanka suggest that both Ebony and an unnamed German woman, who shared the same room at the Miracle Colombo City hostel in the capital, may have been exposed to toxic pesticides used to treat bed bugs in an adjacent room 72 hours before she collapsed. Authorities have since shut down the hostel as part of their investigation.
The GoFundMe page stated that Sri Lankan authorities are unable to release Ebony McIntosh’s body until a full post-mortem examination has been completed. Her sister, India, also noted that an “ongoing investigation” is underway to determine the circumstances surrounding McIntosh’s tragic passing.
India shared that the family is “desperate” to be reunited with McIntosh and bring her home. They are seeking financial support to help cover expenses, including flights, hotel stays, emergency passports, travel visas, required vaccinations, and funeral arrangements.
India shared the GoFundMe link on her Instagram Stories and paid tribute to her sister with a heartfelt post.
The GoFundMe has already raised almost 44,000 (GBP) which is over the 40K goal.
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“to my Ebony,
my beautiful sister,”
“thank you. thank you for being my older sister, one better than i could’ve ever asked for. thank you for guiding me through these 20 years of my life, i am so lucky to have had you. thank you for being my inspiration. now i get to show everyone my BEAUTIFUL sister, your infectious smile and energy, your passion and drive, THATS MY SISTER🥹!!! i’m so proud to call you that, i can only dream to live up to your standards and try to be the big sister to aasia and anaiya that you were to me. i want you home now tho sis pls come back!! it would only be you that would go out living your best life in sri lanka😅”
“i love you forever, i love you with my whole heart.
i will cherish every moment i had with u, every memory and every dream we had together. no words can describe the impact you’ve had on my life and all the lives you’ve touched. i am truly heartbroken, i can’t believe i am writing this, it feels like some nightmare i haven’t woke up from yet, we will get justice for you sis, you had so much life left to live. you were just 4 days into your months of travelling💔 so excited and happy to see the world. we’ll finish your adventure for you ebo, thanks for giving us a great start.”
“i’ll be thinking of you everyday and will carry you in my heart throughout every path i take, im so sad you won’t be here to see us all through our life journeys and vice versa but we are endlessly proud of everything you accomplished, you were always unapologetically yourself and did exactly what you wanted to do. i honestly tell everyone about you or if anyone has a question i say hang on i’ll ask my sister! 😂 i’ll keep sending you tiktoks and asking you for which outfit to pick! i love you i love you i love you. thank you for lighting up the sky the past few nights, pls continue to so we can say goodnight to you every day🫶🏽”
“my heart aches i need you here, we all need you. lets get you home ebony, mum has left your door open with your light on waiting for you and we’ll keep waiting, till we bring you home💖”
“to my older sister, thank you for EVERYTHING i love you so much,the second out of four(always)sister”