YouTube star, 38, found dead after vanishing in desert
A YouTube star who rose to fame for his videos about life hacks and experiments has tragically died aged 38.
Grant Thompson, who starred in The King of Random YouTube videos, did not return home on Monday night (local time) after a paragliding accident.
Local news station KUTV reports his body was recovered near Sand Hollow State Park in the US state of Utah.
“We are currently reviewing the video to determine factors which led to the aircraft crash,” police told KUTV.
A tribute was posted to The King of Random official Facebook page after Thompson’s body was identified.
“It is with great sadness to inform everyone that Grant Thompson passed away last night,” the post said.
“Grant had a great love and appreciation for his fans.
“Please do a random act of kindness today in honour of The King of Random.
“Grant’s legacy will live on in the channel and the global community he created.”
Many of his more than 800,000 followers were shocked by the heartbreaking news.
“One of my favourite online personalities. He taught me so much. I’ve built so many of his projects,” one said.
“Was such an inspiration throughout my teens and led me towards my engineering future,” another claimed.
“What an amazing individual, he inspired my family and helped me introduce science to my eldest child from such an early age.
“He made us laugh, amazed us, helped us bond and we loved his enthusiasm. A genuine loss,” somebody else shared.
The King of Random YouTube channel is dedicated to “exploring life through all kinds of life hacks, experiments and random weekend projects”.
“There is excitement found in discovering the unknown, and living to tell about it, so join us and let’s build something together,” the description on the YouTube channel says.
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