Australian model and swimwear designer Sahara Ray is set to be cremated on 10 November 2026 after dying at the age of 34 on 18 October.
Ray died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Her family confirmed she passed away surrounded by loved ones. An autopsy has been completed, but the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner has deferred the official cause of death while awaiting toxicology results.
Multiple outlets reported that Ray suffered a suspected fentanyl overdose on or around 16 October. She was taken to hospital and placed on life support. The family made the decision to withdraw support the same day she died. Her body was released to relatives in late October. A death certificate lists the Los Angeles residence of her mother, Gretchen Gia Bach, as the location of final disposition.
Ray leaves behind her infant daughter, Snow, born in late January 2026 with Michael Bradley Dow. In her final Instagram post from July, Ray shared photos of the baby with the simple caption “My whole heart.”
Born on 10 March 1993 in Torquay, Victoria, Sahara Ray was the daughter of professional surfer Tony Ray and Gretchen Gia Bach. Tony Ray ranked No. 11 in the world in 1992. She spent much of her childhood between Santa Cruz, California, and winters on Hawaii’s North Shore, travelling with her father to Pipe Masters and big-wave competitions. She initially surfed herself before turning to fashion around the age of 16 and studying at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles.
In 2014 she launched Sahara Ray Swim, a beach-inspired label she promoted through Instagram, where she had nearly 900,000 followers at the time of her death. Early modelling work included a festival-season campaign for Botkier handbags and recognition as one of Charlotte Russe’s “It Girls” in 2015. She also appeared at New York’s MADE Fashion Week. Around 2020 she expanded into OnlyFans content.
Ray was briefly linked to Australian singer Cody Simpson around 2015. In August 2016 she was photographed holidaying with Justin Bieber in Hawaii, including images that drew widespread attention, though neither publicly confirmed a formal relationship. She later used one of Bieber’s songs for a post about her daughter. She was linked to musician Mod Sun in 2023 and 2024. After her death, Mod Sun posted a tribute describing her as “pure magic” and “a true love of mine.”
In April 2024 Ray was hit by a car travelling approximately 80 mph driven by an alleged drunk driver. She publicly said the trauma triggered Guillain-Barré syndrome, an autoimmune condition in which the immune system attacks the nerves. She described being paralysed from the tops of her upper thighs to her feet, relying on a wheelchair and walker, struggling to walk, and feeling “pretty depressed.” She shared updates on Instagram and TikTok about the sudden change in her life.
Friends and reports also referenced ongoing mental-health difficulties in the years before her death. A 2024 restraining-order petition filed by a former roommate alleged periods of Xanax use without a prescription and “intoxicated delusional” behaviour. Those claims remain allegations. Close friend Jessica Serfaty noted that people around Ray had tried to create a circle of support and stability when they felt she needed it most.
Gretchen Gia Bach described her daughter as “an incredibly passionate and kind young woman who loved her family, fashion, her daughter Snow, and surfing.” Sister Ruby Ray called her “the most vivacious, intelligent, hilarious, kind, empathetic and breathtakingly beautiful soul.” Bach has shared raw posts about her grief, including one in which she said she was lying on an Airbnb bed in Los Angeles at 1 a.m., wearing Sahara’s clothes and sobbing while reading tributes. Family members have been photographed spending time with baby Snow in the weeks since the death.
Ray once told GQ she grew up primarily in Santa Cruz and spent three months each winter in Hawaii with her father. Some accounts note she had spoken of wanting to raise children closer to her Australia and California roots rather than remaining solely in Los Angeles. Childhood photos she shared years earlier showed outdoor play, horse riding and ordinary family moments before the modelling spotlight.
Toxicology results that will determine the official cause of death remain pending. Cremation is scheduled for 10 November 2026.
