Travel Vlogger Emma Marie Laurent, 24, Dies After River Sweeps Away Pickup Truck

French travel vlogger Emma Marie Laurent has died at the age of 24 after a pickup truck carrying her and other passengers was swept away while crossing a river in Nicaragua.

Laurent was among three women killed in the early hours of October 9 in the community of El Manzano, in El Viejo, Chinandega. According to Nicaraguan newspaper La Prensa, citing preliminary information from authorities, the Toyota pickup was attempting to cross the Nahualapa River at approximately 1 a.m. when strong currents carried it away.

The other victims were identified as Swiss national Noë Lina Luscher, 20, and Karen Nahomi López Montano, 19, a Nicaraguan woman who worked at the accommodation where the foreign visitors were staying.

Recent rainfall had increased the river’s flow, creating dangerous conditions at a crossing that did not ordinarily pose the same threat, according to local reporting. The Mexican driver, identified as Martín Gerardo García Girón, survived.

Laurent had built an online audience by documenting her travels, sharing photographs and videos of destinations across Europe, Africa and the Caribbean. Her posts captured coastal scenery, life on the road and encounters with different cultures.

Around 43,000 people followed her on Instagram, where her content included travel adventures and experiences living out of a van.

One of her final posts, shared on October 2 during a visit to Portugal, reflected on the value of appreciating the world and finding beauty in everyday moments. Following news of her death, followers left condolences and messages of support for her family beneath her posts.

Nicaragua’s co-president, Rosario Murillo, expressed sympathy for the victims’ families and urged people to remain alert to the dangers of river crossings during periods of heavy rain.

The precise circumstances surrounding the crossing remained under investigation, with reports differing on some details of the incident.