YouTuber Andrew Cross Dead at 36, Taken Off Life Support

YouTube star Andrew Cross died on Tuesday, March 4, after being taken off life support following injuries sustained by a car accident. He was 36.

Cross, who was an outdoor adventure guide, sustained a traumatic brain injury on January 31 after getting in a car accident. He remained hospitalized for just over a month before his family decided to take him off life support.

“Andrew’s spirit is free, surrounded by light & love,” his sister, Jenna, wrote on Tuesday via a CaringBridge site created to give fans an update on his health battle. “He went to be with the Lord today.”

She called her brother’s passing a “peaceful” moment “full of love in the room” as Cross’ wife, Evelyn, was “by his side” as were his parents and close friends.

“It’s a big loss for all of us, and we’re immensely grateful for your steadfast support and prayers,” Jenna wrote. “Throughout all of this, it’s been our heart to stay full of faith, so we wouldn’t look back and wonder ‘what if …’ 🙏🏼 Thank you for walking in that with us.”

Jenna noted that before the family removed Cross from life support, the doctors had put him on a mobile ventilator. The YouTuber was then looped around the whole ICU “while all the available staff lined the hallway as a way to honor him.”

“Then in the room, friends & family read scripture, prayed, and sang during the process of removing life support and for over an hour afterwards,” she shared. “It was peaceful and beautiful.”

Speaking on behalf of his loved ones, Jenna wrote, “Andrew really lived life to the fullest, and his story & impact isn’t over yet. It’s been wonderful to get to know him in new ways as we’ve seen photos and stories shared by so many. We look forward to more of that as we honor a life well lived.”

Cross, who was known as “Desert Drifter” to his followers, had over 400,000 subscribers to his YouTube page. As a content creator, he shared videos about “exploration and adventure with a historical twist,” per his bio.

His work had more than 68 million views since joining the platform in November 2023.

Following his accident in late January, Cross’ wife, Evelyn, took over his YouTube page to tell his followers about his injury.

“Friday night, Andrew was in a really bad accident. He is currently in the intensive care unit fighting for his life from a really severe brain injury,” she said in the video posted on February 2.

Evelyn explained, “This community has really, really meant a lot to him and to both of us over the past year. … For those of you who feel comfortable praying for him, please pray for him. For those of you who feel comfortable sending good thoughts, please send those too.”

The family also created a GoFundMe page to help with their medical expenses. At the time of Cross’ death, the page had reached $479,491 in donations.