Australian Model Sahara Ray Dies at 34 After Fentanyl Overdose
The death of Sahara Ray, daughter of surfing legend Tony Ray, comes months after welcoming her first child and two years after the loss of her cousin.
Australian model and swimwear designer Sahara Ray died at the age of 34 following a fentanyl overdose, a source close to the family confirmed. Ray passed away in a Los Angeles-area hospital on Sunday, October 18, after being on life support for two days.
Her relatives made the decision to remove her from life support on Sunday afternoon, with family surrounding her at the time of her death. Her family released a statement to TMZ, saying, "She passed away last night surrounded by family at the hospital. She was so loved."
Sahara's mother, Gretchen Bach, a real estate agent, told The Mail that Sahara was "an incredibly passionate and kind young woman who loved her family, fashion, her daughter Snow, and surfing." Bach added, "We're feeling the love that is pouring in from her cherished friends, fans and the many communities that she was part of around the world."
Sahara's death comes just months after she welcomed her first child, a daughter named Snow, in January 2026. Her final Instagram post, shared in July, featured photographs of her baby girl with the caption, "My whole heart. Baby Snow."
This recent tragedy follows another devastating loss for the Ray family in 2024. Sahara's cousin, Sienna Ray, died at the age of 26 on July 23, 2024. Sienna's death was attributed to a pulmonary embolism.
Sienna, daughter of Michael Ray—brother of Sahara's father Tony Ray—was farewelled at Jan Juc Surf Life Saving Club on Victoria's Surf Coast on August 7, 2024. Her father shared funeral arrangements on social media, expressing the family's grief.
Sahara, who was previously linked to Justin Bieber in 2016, established herself as a model and social media influencer with over 905,000 followers on Instagram. She studied at The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) and owned a swimwear brand called Sahara Ray Swim.
In recent years, Sahara had faced significant health challenges. In 2024, she revealed a diagnosis of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare neurological condition that affected her mobility, following a car accident involving an alleged drunk driver. Despite her health struggles, she became a mother earlier this year.