The family of 24-year-old British influencer Ebony McIntosh is devastated after her sudden death on what was meant to be the “holiday of a lifetime” in Sri Lanka. Ebony, a popular figure with 10,000 followers on Instagram, was rushed to the hospital on February 1 after reportedly being poisoned by pesticides used to kill bed bugs at the hostel where she was staying. Tragically, she and another guest from Germany died just hours after being treated for symptoms including vomiting, nausea, and difficulty breathing.
A friend of Ebony’s mother, Chandrika Patel, expressed the family’s grief, saying: “The family are completely devastated and inconsolable. They are beyond grief. She was their life.” Ebony, the eldest of four daughters, lived with her family in Mickleover, Derbyshire. A neighbor, who has known Ebony since she was three years old, described her as a “lovely girl” and said everyone was “shocked” by the heartbreaking news, reported by the Daily Mail.
Ebony had only left the UK on January 28 to begin a tour of South Asia, with Sri Lanka as her first stop. It was her dream trip, one that she had spent months planning and researching. Sadly, her life was cut short just days into her adventure. The exact cause of her death is still under investigation, with reports suggesting that the poisonings may have been caused by noxious pesticides intended to treat bed bugs in a nearby room at the Miracle Colombo City hostel in Sri Lanka’s capital.
Ebony’s younger sister, India, shared a poignant tribute to her sister on social media, writing: “To my Ebony, my beautiful sister, thank you, thank you for being my older sister, one better than I could’ve ever asked for.” She continued, “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… We will get justice for you, you had so much life left to live.”
India has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help her family travel to Sri Lanka and bring Ebony’s body back home. The fundraiser has raised over £20,000 of the £22,000 target. India explained on the page that the family is struggling to cover the costs of flights, accommodations, emergency passports, and funeral expenses. “We are desperate and cannot wait any longer to see her and to bring her home,” she said.
The tragic circumstances surrounding Ebony’s death are being investigated by authorities in Sri Lanka, and a post-mortem examination is due to determine the exact cause. Ebony’s death follows a troubling series of similar incidents involving tourists in the region, highlighting concerns over safety in hostels and the dangers of contaminated food or drink.
