A young BelgianYouTube star has died alone in the frozen wastes of northern Sweden after sending heartbreaking final messages to his friends and family.
Storm De Beul’s family is grieving the death of the adventurous young man after rescuers tragically reached the scene too late to save him, the Daily Mail reports.
The 22-year-old, who frequently shared his adventures online, was attempting a solo trek across Lapland when he was caught in a blizzard last month.
He sent a friend a video message as the weather closed in.
“Tonight, it’s going to get worse. Jesus Christ,” he said, showing how heavy snow was already filling his backpack and shoes.
“Trees were uprooted that night. Maybe his tent also blew away and he had no choice but to start walking.”
He called emergency services to tell them he was injured but extreme weather kept them away.
When rescuers reached him the following day, October 30, they found his body some distance from his tent, his lower extremities frozen.
His mother said her son had a broken nose, suggesting a fall.
“He must have suffered for a long time and died alone.
“I keep imagining his last moments. It devastates me.”
Frozen memories
While the rescue team were able to recover his body, they were beaten away from the scene by the weather and could not retrieve Storm’s belongings.
His father told Belgian media he would head there next spring when the thaw might uncover Storm’s last movements, revealing a key item he wanted to find.
“His videos are a priceless legacy for us,” he told Belgian news outlet 7sur7.
“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.