A YouTuber has frozen to death after camping out in a snowstorm.
Mother Nature can be a cruel mistress, and when we see all those horror stories about people being stuck in caves, lost at sea, or trapped on the top of mountains, it makes you question why you'd ever want to leave the comfort of your home and the joy of binging Grey's Anatomy on Disney+. Still, the adventurous human spirit often takes us out in the wild to try and make a name for ourselves.
Unfortunately for YouTuber Storm De Beul, his thirst for exploration cost him his life when he was caught in a deadly snowstorm. The Belgian YouTuber had a love of being alone in the great outdoors, but sadly, his body was found in the Lapland region of Jokkmokk on October 30. De Beul has spent most of the year hiking on his own across the remote region and was used to the harsh conditions of Lapland, but as reported by Belgian outlet 7sur7, it went horribly wrong for the 22-year-old.
Advert
According to reports, De Beul sent a video to a friend that showed how heavy snowfall had filled his boots. In the video, he says: "Tonight, it’s going to get worse. Jesus Christ."
Despite his friend warning him about the risks, De Beul continued, sending a heartbreaking final message to his grandmother that read: "It’s snowing heavily here. But don’t worry, I’ll survive, you know."
Storm's father says that he never saw his son scared, while his mother is confused about why he'd leave his shelter. She admits that the deteriorating weather might've forced him to move, adding: "Trees were uprooted that night. Maybe his tent also blew away and he had no choice but to start walking.
"But it was -6C, and because of the storm it even felt like -18C. His feet and lower legs were frozen. His hands weren't, he might still have had his hand warmers with him."
Advert
It's thought that Storm had only been a day's walk from his car and was heading that way when he got in touch with emergency services about his situation. As adverse weather prevented help from being sent, a helicopter team tragically found his body the next day.
Storm De Beul was found with a broken nose, suggesting he fell before his death. His mother says that he must've suffered alone for a long time, adding that she keeps thinking about his final moments and saying: "It devastates me."
On his YouTube channel, Storm shared 14 videos, with a bio reading: "I travel by car and make videos about hiking, camping and packrafting throughout Northern Europe."
Advert
Now, De Beul's parents are sharing his story in hopes that it can educate others about the perils of exploring alone. His father also plans to return to the area where his son was found when the snow thaws, hoping to find his camera and memory card even though the chances are 'slim.' His father told 7sur7: "His videos are a priceless legacy for us. But now his camera is there, somewhere in the snow, full of images from his very last trek. I would love nothing more than to get it back."
Leaving a tribute to his son, he said: "Storm was someone who had trouble connecting with people. He really liked being alone.
"Since he had a lot of money, he regularly went on adventures in nature. That made him really happy. There, he could choose his own path, literally and figuratively."
Comparing Storm to the movie Into the Wild and the real-life story of Christopher McCandless, his mother concluded: "Not that we want to make Storm a hero. We just want him to be remembered as he was: very calm water with very deep soils."