Influencer couple 'lost control' and rolled 'many, many times' downhill before tragic death in off-road accident

Daily Mail​

3 days ago

An influencer couple who died in an off-roading horror crash rolled 'many, many times' as they plunged more than 650 feet down a rocky mountain in Canada.
Stacey Tourout and Matthew Yeomans, the pair behind the Toyota World Runners YouTube channel, died on the evening of August 7 in the mountainous area near Trout Lake in British Columbia.
The pair garnered more than 200,000 subscribers and more than 72,000 Instagram followers by documenting their explorations through North and South America.
They were no strangers to off-roading - making their death even harder to swallow for their loyal fanbase and tight-knit all-terrain community.
Rescuers have revealed the harrowing circumstances of their fatal accident.
The engaged couple was traveling along a forestry road 'somewhere in the mountains' near Trout Lake, Mark Jennings-Bates, a manager of the Kaslo Search and Rescue (SAR) team that found them, told CBC.
Once rescuers arrived on site, responding to reports called in about the accident, one of the victims was already dead. The other was in a critical state, 'disoriented and suffering from serious injuries,' Jennings-Bate said.
That individual later died at the hospital. It is unclear if it was Tourout or Yeomans who died at the scene.
While the official cause of the crash has not yet been confirmed, investigators believe they likely lost control of the vehicle - causing them to plummet down a mountain.
Jennings-Bates estimated they fell about 200 meters - 656 feet - downhill until they slammed into the bottom.
They likely rolled 'many, many times' during the terrifying ordeal.
He also described the rescue operation as 'challenging' because it was a long uphill journey to get to them, although he said his team did so 'efficiently.'
He also noted his team has responded to the many calls in the area where they died, as it is difficult to navigate and rugged.
Stacey's mother confirmed the couple's death in a heartbreaking social media post.
She wrote they died together in an off-road accident 'in the beautiful mountains of British Columbia that they loved so much.'
'Please keep us and them in your thoughts and prayers as we navigate this devastating end to an amazing Love Story,' Colleen Tourout wrote.
In light of the devastating loss to their loved ones and the international online community they have built, social media has been flooded with heartfelt tributes, remembering the ambitious duo.
'They were so young and full of life, so talented, and this is a huge loss for our off-road community, their friends and family, and the world,' the creator behind The Story Till Now YouTube channel, Shaun, wrote.
He explained that while he never met them in person, he often spoke with Matthew on the phone.
Shaun revealed that the last time he had spoken to Matthew was the day before he and his fiancée died. Shaun's jeep broke down, and he was 'trying to figure out how to get it home.'
'We joked about how we would have finally met up the next day if not for my Jeep breaking down, but talked about getting some firm plans on the books for a trip next month.
'They tragically passed away that very next day in an accident, and I'm just devastated over it.'
Another off-roading creator, Colin Stuart who runs the Dirt Theory channel, said he was with the couple when the horror unfolded.
'I was with them when it happened and did everything in my power to save them,' he wrote on Facebook.
'Those were the hardest 20 hours I have ever lived. The hardest decisions I have ever had to make.
'I'm sorry to all that this has affected. This is a big loss for the offroad community and a bigger loss to Matthew's and Stacey's family and close friends.'
In a tear-jerking obituary written for the couple, they were described as the 'heart and soul' of the off-roading community.
Amid this harrowing tragedy, Jennings-Bates has warned people to proceed with caution when it comes to off-roading.
Stacey and Mathew's claim to fame was building the 'world's first Land Cruiser Chinook in 100 days,' according to their YouTube bio.
The custom vehicle combines the body of a Toyota Chinook camper and a Toyota Land Cruiser to essentially create a camper suitable for off-roading.
It is unclear if they were driving the Land Cruiser when the fatal crash occurred.
Along with their cruiser adventures, they also documented their many RV retrofits, often combining parts of different vehicles to make them suitable for off-roading.
They uploaded their very last YouTube video on July 31, just about a week before they died.
In the nearly hour-long segment, the pair documented their off-roading trip across Vancouver Island.