Photo: Instagram
Rest in peace, Grant Thompson.
By Bernadette Giacomazzo — Written on Aug 02, 2019
Doing real things have real consequences — and those consequences can sometimes be deadly. A recent report revealed that yet another YouTube star has died long before his time thanks to an accident. How did Grant Thompson die?
Here's what we know about the unfortunate passing of this YouTube star known as "The King of Random."
1. He was 38 years old when he passed away.
According to TMZ, Grant Thompson was only 38 years old when he passed away suddenly.
"Grant started his YouTube channel in 2010, documenting experiments, life hacks and random weekend projects. King of Random amassed more than 11 million subscribers and nearly 2.5 billion views total. His was the 321st most subscribed to channel on YouTube," reported the outlet.
2. Grant Thompson died in a paragliding accident.
According to the BBC, the self-proclaimed "King of Random" was involved in a paragliding accident in Utah. It was his brother, Mark, who spoke to the press and disclosed that his brother had passed away.
"The 38-year-old, whose channel had 11 million subscribers with billions of views, failed to return from a trip in Utah on Monday. Thompson had a GPS device which helped locate his body the next day," reported the outlet.
3. This is not the first paragliding accident he'd been involved in.
Grant Thompson may have passed away from a paragliding accident a few days ago, but this wasn't the first one he'd been involved in. In fact, five months ago, he was involved in a paragliding accident, too! And while he survived the first time, he wasn't so lucky this time around.
"While a sheriff's office release says an investigation into his death is ongoing, it notes foul play isn't suspected. Thompson's brother Mark tells TMZ his sibling had just taken up paragliding five months ago. The Post notes Thompson earned his nickname in 2010, when he started his YouTube channel dedicated to science experiments that were often survival-themed, like opening coconuts without tools and crafting brass knuckles out of bullet shells, as well as quirkier ones like making Lego-shaped gummy candy — his most viral video ever," reported Newser.
4. Grant Thompson's body was found using a GPS that was attached to him.
According to The Salt Lake Tribune, if it weren't for the GPS that was attached to Grant Thompson's body, no one would have found him.
"The county’s dispatch center had received a report of an overdue paraglider who had taken off in the morning near Sand Hollow State Park, the news release said. Police from Hurricane and an agent from the Bureau of Land Management responded. The caller was able to provide the paraglider’s last known GPS coordinates. A medical helicopter was able to follow those and discovered Thompson’s body. The news release said the search team also recovered the crashed paraglider and video taken during its flight — and said no foul play was suspected," reported the outlet.
5. He will be deeply missed.
Grant Thompson wasn't just known in the YouTube community. Rather, his success crossed over to the mainstream, and as a result, The Washington Post released a touching tribute in his honor.
"Before his death, Thompson had recently shifted to a role behind the camera, bringing in new hosts so he could spend more time with his wife and four children. He told viewers that he’d previously been working “16 hours a day, six or seven days a week,” and was nearing a burnout. The channel kept growing without Thompson on camera, though, and he told viewers last year that working with a larger staff and a more ambitious filming schedule had changed his life. “I feel better than I ever have and I feel very optimistic about the future,” he said. “I love you guys," reported the outlet.
Our thoughts are with Grant Thompson, and his family, during this difficult time.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, and photographer whose work has appeared in People, Teen Vogue, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, and more. She is also the author of The Uprising series. For more information about Bernadette Giacomazzo, click here.