Fitness influencer Connor Murphy reported dead in Thailand

Connor Murphy, an American online fitness influencer with more than 2.3 million subscribers on YouTube, has died in a drowning incident in Thailand, according to multiple local reports.

Authorities told media outlets Bangkok Post and Thairath they were called to respond to reports of man acting erratically in the Bang Phli district in the province of Samut Prakan. When police arrived, authorities said, the man jumped in a lake in the village, known for its luxury resorts. Reports said the man continued swimming until he appeared to be exhausted, and disappeared beneath the water.

Rescue divers searched for 30 minutes before bringing his body to shore and taking him to the hospital, said the publications. An autopsy was scheduled to be performed.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson confirmed to CBC News an American citizen had died in Samut Prakan on July 7, and said it was providing consular assistance to the family. They did not identify Murphy by name.

Tributes from friends

Thirty-two-year-old Murphy was active in an online community of young men known as “looksmaxxers,” known for their dedication to improving their appearance, often turning to surgery and even personal injury to change how they look.

Fellow influencer, who goes by Jon Skywalker Brannon online, paid tribute to Murphy in a post on Instagram.

“I will always remember you as the young kid who came up in this industry at the same time as me; thrown into a toxic industry and into the unforgiving spotlight of social media with no guidance and no mentor,” he wrote.

“Only God knows the mental and emotional weight you carried throughout the years … the expectations and pressure placed on your shoulders by millions of people who only ever witnessed a facet of your life.”

Questions about Murphy’s mental health

Thai media has spoken to the owner of the near-million-dollar luxury lakefront residence that Murphy was renting at the time of his death.

The owner told the outlets the residence had been vandalized with paint all over the walls and appliances. Furniture and decorations had also been ruined, she said.

Local media also reported that investigators who searched the deceased’s vehicle found two unused syringes and several unidentified white pills.

Patrick Lyons, an online fitness coach, posted multiple pictures of himself and Murphy together on Instagram. In the caption, he said Murphy was using an “illicit, extremely powerful drug in 2020.”

“In effect, it caused a psychotic break that turned Connor into someone far different from the person I once knew,” wrote Lyons. “Among many delusions that arose, he believed he was God.”

Lyons also said in the post he cut ties with Murphy about six years ago, and that he hopes his former collaborator’s death will “serve as a further reason not to use drugs, whether PEDs [performance-enhancing drugs] or hallucinogens.”

CBC News could not corroborate allegations of drug use.

The investigation into his death is ongoing.