29.11.2024 16:10
22-year-old adventurer Storm De Beul lost his life in an unexpected snowstorm in Sweden's Lapland region. The young man, who shared his life on YouTube, had said in his last message, "There is heavy snowfall, but I will survive." Due to the storm, he was just a day's walk from his car before he called for emergency help in -18 degree felt temperatures. Rescue teams could not reach him in time, and by the time a helicopter was sent the next day, it was already too late.
22-year-old adventurer Storm De Beul, who shared his travels on YouTube, lost his life in an unexpected snowstorm in Sweden's Lapland region. The nature enthusiast, who enjoyed being alone, had told his grandmother in his last message, "It's snowing heavily here. But don't worry, I will survive, you know."
In a video sent to a friend, Storm showed how the heavy snowfall filled his shoes and backpack, and how the wind battered his tent, saying, "It's going to get worse tonight. Oh my God!"
His father, Bout, noted that his son was not worried despite the warnings, stating, "That's how he was. I never saw him scared." His mother, Elisabeth Rademaker, explained, "Trees were uprooted that night. Maybe his tent was blown away, and he had to walk. The temperature was -6 degrees, but it felt like -18 degrees due to the storm."
Storm was a day's walk away from his car before he called for emergency help. Due to the bad weather conditions, rescue teams could not reach him immediately, and by the time a helicopter was sent the next day, it was already too late. The experienced traveler was found away from his tent, with an almost empty backpack.
His father promised to return to the area in the spring when the snow melts to search for his son's belongings. "The videos are an invaluable legacy for us. But now his camera is there, under the snow, filled with images of his last journey. I would love to get it back," he said.
Storm, who had over 1,000 YouTube subscribers (@StormOutdoorsy), has a life and death story that resembles the film "Into the Wild." His mother stated, "You have to be blind not to see the similarities. We don't want to make Storm a hero. We just want him to be remembered as he was: very calm waters and very deep grounds."