A young YouTuber inadvertently recorded a final message for his loved ones before tragically passing away during a snowstorm.
Tragedy struck on October 3 when Storm De Beul, a content creator from Belgium, lost his life while hiking alone in the Swedish wilderness.
The 22-year-old - who went by StormOutdoorsy on YouTube - was trekking through the remote Jokkmokk region and had set up camp when the snowstorm hit, Daily Mail reported.
He reportedly contacted emergency services during the blizzard, saying he was wounded and needed help, however, medics were unable to reach him until the next day due to severe weather conditions, per Belgian news outlet 7sur7.
De Beul amassed over 9.58K subscribers on his channel, where he regularly posted content of him camping in remote locations.
He recorded several heartfelt messages to his loved ones during his journey. In one video sent to a friend, he showed how snow had filled his shoes and backpack. "Tonight, it's going to get worse. Jesus Christ," he reportedly added.
De Beul also shared a separate message to his grandmother, telling her that it was "snowing heavily" in the area and adding: "But don’t worry, I’ll survive, you know.” Sadly, the YouTuber was discovered dead outside of his tent.
De Beul's bereaved parents, Bout and Elisabeth, have spoken to Belgian media about their son's tragedy and questioned why he abandoned his shelter.
"Trees were uprooted that night," the heartbroken mom 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...His hands weren't, he might still have had his hand warmers with him."
Elisabeth revealed that her son had a broken nose when he was found, suggesting he had fallen. "He must have suffered for a long time and died alone. I keep imagining his last moments. It devastates me," she added.
The young adventurer's father has vowed to return to the place where his son died once the snow has thawed in the spring.
He also hopes to retrieve his son's belongings, which include videos of his final days. "His videos are a priceless legacy for us,” he told 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," he continued. "Imagine if his camera and memory card were still there. I know the chances are slim, but I have to try."
Paying tribute to his beloved son, his father added: "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," he concluded.
Our thoughts continue to be with De Beul's family and friends.
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