The tragic story of Storm De Beul

Storm De Beul was a Belgian YouTuber who loved to spend time alone in the wilderness. He would often go for long hikes by himself and document the experience for his channel, showing his adventures to thousands who enjoyed his content. Since he did well financially, he was able to go on these trips often and would spend several days hiking and camping through the remote northern Swedish terrain.

(The remote Jokkmokk region in Swedish Lapland)

In October 2024, Storm planned to spend a few days hiking through the remote Jokkmokk region in Swedish Lapland. It was supposed to be one of his normal trips, starting from a planned point and walking through the wilderness for a few days before returning back to his car.

Everything was going well at first, and he documented his journey as usual, showing him spending nights comfortably with his camping gear. It wasn’t until the end of his trip that the weather started to change, and on the night of the 29th, he was hit by a huge snowstorm.

(Storm De Beul on a previous adventure)

Perhaps he didn’t expect the weather to change but for whatever reason, his tent and equipment were far below what he would have needed to be ok. When the snowstorm started, Storm sent a video to one of his friends to show how heavy it was. He was also previously warned by one of his friends about the weather and conditions, but Storm was never worried about these things, and after so many successful adventures he was confident he’d be fine.

At some point during the night, the weather became so bad that trees in the area became uprooted, and Storm decided to leave the safety of his tent for an unknown reason. The weather that night was -6C, but with the high winds, it was estimated to feel closer to -20C.

Before leaving his tent, Storm sent a message to the emergency services asking for help, but due to the weather and remote location, they weren’t able to send someone out until the next day. On 30 October 2024, a search and rescue team found the body of Storm lying in the snow a short distance away from his tent. His backpack was almost completely empty except for a sleeping bag and toothbrush.

His feet and legs were frozen but his hands weren’t, suggesting he used the last of the hand warmers he normally takes on such trips shortly before he died. The weather and deep snow stopped the search team from being able to properly cover the area, and most of his gear is still somewhere in the region.

His father has stated he will be going to the area in the Spring when the snows melt to try and find his son’s camera. The last moments of Storm’s life are likely documented, and his father stated in an interview ‘Imagine if his camera and memory card were still there, I know the chances are slim, but I have to try.’

The story of Storm De Beul is one that is all too common within the world of survival stories, with countless people meeting their end from making the smallest mistake, whether that was being overconfident or just expecting the weather to be ok. One of the best examples of both overconfidence and expecting everything to go their way is the story of Chris McCandless. He tried to go into the wilderness alone for an extended period and got stranded in high waters.