Belgian YouTuber, Storm De Beul, shared an emotional final message before tragically losing his life in a snowstorm.
At the age of 22, Storm was known for his videos documenting adventures in isolated areas, which he shared with his large audience.
While on a solo journey in Jokkmokk, Northern Sweden, as part of a trek across Lapland, Storm encountered severe weather conditions and was trapped in a blizzard.
During his expedition, Storm, who posted content under the name StormOutdoorsy, recorded a series of messages. One was directed to a friend, and another to his grandmother.
He described the deteriorating weather, noting it was ‘snowing heavily’ and commenting: “Tonight, it’s going to get worse. Jesus Christ.”
He also showed his shoes, backpack filled with snow, and his tent struggling amid the strong winds and heavy snowfall.
In a message to his grandmother, he reassured her: “But don’t worry, I’ll survive, you know.”
Unfortunately, Storm was found deceased on October 30, 2024, outside of his tent. His mother, Elisabeth Rademaker, has since questioned why he left the tent.
In a conversation with Belgian news outlet 7Sur7, she highlighted that trees were ‘uprooted’ by the fierce storm, suggesting that Storm’s tent may have been blown away, leaving him no option but to walk.
Reports indicate that Storm reached out to emergency services at around 2:00 am, reporting an injury, but rescuers could not reach him in time.
Rademaker expressed that her son’s death ‘devastates’ her and she can’t help but ‘imagine his last moments,’ with temperatures at -6°C.
“And because of the storm it even felt like -18°C,” she remarked, noting that when Storm was found, his ‘feet and lower legs were frozen,’ and he had a broken nose.
She continued: “His hands weren’t, he might still have had his hand warmers with him.”
Storm’s father, Bout, has stated his intention to return to the site in the spring to try and recover his son’s camera.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgK44LZHwoQ
He said: “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. Imagine if his camera and memory card were still there. I know the chances are slim, but I have to try.”
His mother mentioned that Storm ‘learned to survive by watching hours of videos’ similar to those he published on his YouTube channel.
“It was his way, even though he’s not very social, of giving people a glimpse into his life. He wanted to show the beauty of nature on the one hand, and on the other hand, that things don’t always have to happen quickly,” she noted.
Bout agreed that Storm ‘was someone who had trouble connecting with people’ and enjoyed ‘being alone,’ which made exploring nature fulfilling for him.
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.”