A young adventurer who documented his travels on YouTube has died in a freak snowstorm in the Swedish wilderness after sending a heartbreaking final message to his grandmother.
Storm De Beul, 22, a nature lover who ‘enjoyed being alone’, was found dead in Lapland on October 30 after spending much of the year hiking solo through the remote Jokkmokk region.
He became caught in a devastating blizzard the night before, telling his grandmother in a tragic final message: ‘It’s snowing heavily here. But don’t worry, I’ll survive, you know.’
Storm also sent a video to a friend showing how the intense snowfall had filled his shoes and backpack, while the wind battered his tent. ‘Tonight, it’s going to get worse. Jesus Christ,’ he said in the video.
His friend reportedly warned him about the risks, but Storm appeared not to be worried at that point. ‘He was like that. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him scared,’ his father, Bout, told Belgian media.
It is unclear why he abandoned his shelter, his mother Elisabeth Rademaker said, but the conditions may have left him with no option. ‘Trees were uprooted that night,’ she said. ‘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,’ she said. ‘His hands weren’t, he might still have had his hand warmers with him.’
Ms Rademaker said her son had also broken his nose when he was found, suggesting he had fallen. ‘He must have suffered for a long time and died alone,’ the mother said. ‘I keep imagining his last moments. It devastates me.’
Storm De Beul, 22, was found dead in Lapland on October 30 after spending much of the year hiking solo through the region
The 22-year-old spent much of his year in the Swedish wilderness and loved the outdoors
Storm had been only a day’s walk away from his car and heading home when he contacted emergency services late at night to tell them he was injured and needed help.
The authorities were unable to send assistance due to the adverse weather, and when a helicopter was finally able to be deployed to find him the next day it was tragically too late.
The seasoned explorer was found some distance from his tent and his backpack was all-but empty, with only his sleeping back and toothbrush inside.
Rescuers were unable to extensively search the site where he was found after it was cut off by the freezing conditions.
His father has now vowed to return there once the snow has thawed in the spring to search for his son’s belongings.
‘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,’ he told Belgian news site 7sur7.
He said that once the snow begins to thaw in May he will walk the path from his son’s tent to the spot where he was found ‘in the hope of finding something of him.’
‘Imagine if his camera and memory card were still there,’ he said with a sigh. ‘I know the chances are slim, but I have to try.’
Paying tribute to his son, his father added: “Storm was someone who had trouble connecting with people. He really liked being alone.
The seasoned explorer was found some distance from his tent and his backpack was all-but empty, with only his sleeping back and toothbrush inside
Storm had over 1,000 subscribers on his YouTube, @StormOutdoorsy, and regularly posted content of him camping in remote locations
‘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.’
Storm had over 1,000 subscribers on his YouTube, @StormOutdoorsy, and regularly posted content of him camping in remote locations.
His parents say that the story of his life and death has strong parallels with the film Into the Wild.
The movie, directed by Sean Penn, is based on the true story of a man who leaves behind the pressures of society and goes into the Alaskan wilderness alone.
Tragically, he too died alone. ‘You have to be blind not to see the similarities,’ Storm’s mother told reporters.
‘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.’
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
