EXCLUSIVE
A young model has tragically died, while a friend reveals that she tried to call him on New Year’s Eve, but he couldn’t take her call.
Emily ‘Emmy’ Finberg, 30, from Ballina in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, died suddenly on January 2.
A devastated friend said she tried to contact him just days before, but he couldn’t take her call.
“(She) called me on the phone on New Year’s Eve, but I’m at sea so I can only text, so I sent RUOK,” he said online.
Another friend said: ‘I wish he had called me or come. She was a good horse girl and good at laughing. Very, very sad.’
Family members have told loved ones to consider his death an accident.
Throughout her life, Ms. Finberg worked in various roles, including as a model and farmhand, working alongside horses, which she had loved since she was a child.
At the time of her death, she was working as a truck driver for the Boral cement company and was a member of the Mullumbimby Pony Club.
Emmy Finberg (pictured) died suddenly on January 2
As the community comes to terms with the tragedy, tributes have flowed online for Ms Finberg, who has been remembered as “fierce, funny and kind”.
A relative said Ms Finberg’s life changed when she was around 12 and she was given a horse, called Flash, which she absolutely adored.
“Emmy’s responsibility and care for Flash was unwavering, and the work of feeding, exercising and grooming Flash was done regardless of the weather, regardless of starting at 4 a.m.,” he said.
‘As an adult, Emmy adopted the same perseverance and work ethic at every job (usually two or three jobs at a time). “I couldn’t be more proud of their determination and spirit.”
Her friend Jasmin Miller said the world is now “undeniably less bright without her radiant presence.”
“She was a force of nature: hilarious, vibrant and endlessly kind,” he said.
‘Emmy had a way of making everyone feel welcome and loved, lighting up every room with her infectious energy and laughter.
‘There was no one like Emmy. There will never be anyone like Emmy either.

Emmy Finberg is pictured while working as a laborer on a property near Byron Bay.

Throughout her life, Emmy Finberg (pictured) held a variety of jobs, including modeling, farm work, and most recently, driving a truck for a cement company.
‘Her love for animals, especially her beloved fur baby, Chopper, was unmatched. He appreciated life, friends, family and all creatures, great and small.
“We are heartbroken.”
Her aunt Aviva Finberg described her as “the boldest, bravest person I will ever meet” and “the most feminine trucker to ever grace this land.”
“We spent the weekend together recently and she hugged me and held me so tight for so long,” Finberg wrote online.
‘I’ll always remember her (saying) “Can I have another Amaretto Sour, please?” at Capiche in Ballina. So feminine. As if we were on the French Riviera.
“She used to say, ‘I love you forever.’ Well, this is forever, my dear girl.
Mrs. Miller has created a GoFundMe to raise funds to help cover the cost of his funeral.
‘As we go through this difficult time, we’re reaching out to Emmy’s friends and anyone whose life she touched to help us give her the send-off she deserves, in true EMMY style!’ she said.
‘Any contribution, big or small, will go towards celebrating Emmy’s beautiful life.
‘Thank you for your kindness, love and support. Let us honor Emmy’s memory as she deserves.”
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