US food influencer Michael Duarte has died unexpectedly in a “horrible incident”, according to his heartbroken family.

The food influencer had built up a following in excess of two million people across his social media platforms, where he was better known via his username, FoodwithBearHands.

According to tragic reports, the father-of-one was traveling through Texas on Saturday, November 8, when he passed away in a “horrible incident”, just days after celebrating his ninth anniversary with his wife.

“It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of our valued client and dear friend, Michael Duarte,” his talent agency, Alooma Media Group, wrote in a Nov. 9 Instagram post.

“He was a true & loyal partner, a trusted collaborator, and above all, a remarkable person. His passion, professionalism, and creativity left a lasting mark not only on our team but on everyone who had the privilege of working with him.”

Duarte was able to amass a large following on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube via his cooking videos, where he shared recipes and videos of his BBQ and grilling creations. On Instagram, his bio read “my purpose is to share to the world food to people who need it the most.”

A GoFundMe page set up by his family revealed that he was survived by his wife Jessica – to whom he had been married for nine years – and six-year-old daughter Oakley.

“This heartbreak came without warning,” the GoFundMe page reads, “leaving Jessica to incur the expense of bringing him back home to California and covering funeral expenses.

“During this time, and in the months/years ahead, we want to make sure that Jessica and Oakley are taken care of as Michael would have wanted them to be. Your support would bring comfort, stability, and a reminder that they are not carrying this weight alone.”

Duarte’s relationship with food was first fostered when he was just 14, when he worked with his ‘mentor’ uncle at a small Mexican restaurant in his hometown Calipatria, on the US-Mexico border.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, having worked in a variety of restaurants in the San Diego area, he quit his job to focus on building his own following, only for a ‘mental health crisis’ to force him into rehab.

When he reemerged, Duarte returned to restaurant work and sharing food insights on social media.

“That’s when I realized how happy creating content made me,” he said, as per People. “Over time, I began to see it wasn’t just a hobby – it could be a business, something bigger than myself.”