Father of YouTuber who tragically died in freak snowstorm attempts to uncover last recordings

The father of a YouTuber who tragically died in a freak snowstorm has vowed to retrace his son’s final steps and find his last recordings.

Content creator Storm De Beul, 22, from Belgium, had over 1,300 subscribers on his YouTube channel, StormOutdoorsy, and regularly posted his adventures in remote locations.

Tragically he was reported dead after attempting a solo trek across Lapland. He was caught in a blizzard in Jokkmokk in northern Sweden and died on 30 October.

He sent a friend a video message not long before he passed away as the weather closed in. “Tonight, it’s going to get worse. Jesus Christ,” he said. The snow had already filled his shoes and backpack and the wind battered his tent.

“It’s snowing heavily here,” he told his grandmother in a separate message.

“But don’t worry, I’ll survive, you know.”

But the young adventurer was caught in a blizzard and he was found dead on 30 October.

He left his tent at some point during the storm, but it is unclear why, His mother Elisabeth Rademaker told Belgian media, but the adverse conditions might 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."

Storm De Beul shared videos of his solo adventures onlineStormOutdoorsy/YouTube

“But it was -6°C, and because of the storm it even felt like -18°C. His feet and lower legs were frozen,' she said. "His hands weren't, he might still have had his hand warmers with him.”

When her son was found his nose was broken, suggesting he had fallen. “He must have suffered for a long time and died alone. I keep imagining his last moments. It devastates me.”

He had contacted emergency services late at night to inform them he was injured and needed help, but the authorities were unable to send assistance because of the extreme weather.

When a helicopter was able to be deployed to find him it was too late.

His father, Bout, has now vowed to return to the place his son died once the snow has thawed in the spring.

“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 website 7sur7.

“Imagine if his camera and memory card were still there. I know the chances are slim, but I have to try.”

In tribute to his son, Bout 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.”

Sign up for our free indy100 weekly newsletter

How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings