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A 24-year-old travel influencer has been killed after a van carrying a group of travelers was swept away while crossing a river in Nicaragua.
French traveler Emma Marie Laurent was one of three women who died when the vehicle was caught in strong currents following heavy rain, according to the Jam Press news agency.
The group was passing through El Manzano, a community in the northwest department of Chinandega, when they attempted to cross the Nahualapa River around 1 a.m. on October 9, the same source reported.
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Recent rains have caused the river to rise, creating dangerous conditions before the vehicle attempts to cross it.
The driver, identified as Mexican national Martin Gerardo García Girón, reportedly got out of the van to assess the water level before attempting the crossing, according to Jam Press.
French travel influencer Emma Marie Laurent, pictured right, was among three women killed after their van, pictured left, was swept away by a river in Nicaragua. (Jam press)
The water reportedly reached the driver’s knees, but the current carried the van and caused it to overturn.
The driver survived, although accounts differ as to whether other passengers also made it to safety, according to Jam Press.
Authorities were investigating the circumstances surrounding the crossing.
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Nicaraguan co-president Rosario Murillo offered her condolences to the families of the victims after the death.
“It’s a tragedy,” Murillo said, according to reports.
“We express our solidarity and our call to remain vigilant and, in the face of such tragedies, to express our full solidarity.”
A pickup truck, pictured above, overturned after being swept away by the swollen Nahualapa River in El Manzano, Chinandega, Nicaragua, on October 9. (Jam press)
Murillo also warned of the dangers of crossing rivers during Nicaragua’s rainy season.
“The rivers are deceptive; you think they’re calm and all of a sudden the current comes, and we have tragedies like this that leave families grieving,” she said, according to Jam Press.
Laurent had developed an online following by sharing his travels around the world, including glimpses of life on the road from his van.
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She described herself as “your barefoot best friend” on Instagram, where she had nearly 43,000 followers at the time of her death, Jam Press reported.
Laurent appears to have shared his last social media post on October 2, uploading a video from a recent trip to Portugal.
Laurent had developed an online following by sharing his travels around the world, including glimpses of life on the road from his van. (Jam press)
In this article, she reflected on the importance of appreciating everyday moments.
“I think that the most beautiful people, inside and out, are those who know how to admire the world around them,” Laurent wrote in French.
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Following the news of his death, social media users left messages of remembrance under the post.
“Gone way too soon,” one person commented.
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“Condolences to the family,” another user wrote.
Gn world
