Three Canadian YouTube stars died after they fell over a waterfall in Canada.
Ryker Gamble, Alexey Lyakh and Megan Scraper were travel vloggers for the YouTube channel High On Life. Gamble and Lyakh founded the channel with a friend from high school, Parker Heuser, in 2012 to document their explorations of exotic locations while promoting brands and destinations. Scraper was Lyakh’s girlfriend and she participated in some of the group’s projects.
On Tuesday, Gamble, Lyakh, and Scraper were hiking near Squamish, near the top of Shannon Falls. The group decided to go into one of the nearby pools for a swim, when all of a sudden, Scraper lost her footing and fell into the current. Lyakh and Gamble dove into the current to save her but were swept into the current themselves, reports NYMag.
According to BBC, the waterfalls in the Shannon Falls region are among the highest in British Columbia, reaching 1,009ft (335m) at their highest point.
A video from 2014 features the High on Life team performing stunts near a waterfall, while warning their viewers that this stunt should not be attempted by amateurs.
According to CBC News, Lyakh and Gamble had also been sentenced to a week in prison in 2017 for stunts they had pulled at Yosemite, including riding a bicycle outside of the roadway in Death Valley
On Friday, the team behind High On Life released a video statement about the deaths of their colleagues. “There are truly no words that can be said to ease the pain and devastation that we are going through right now. They were three of the warmest, kindest, most driven and outgoing people that you could ever meet and the world has lost a great deal of light with their passing.”
High On Life has over 500,000 subscribers to their channels. Fans and friends of the vloggers shared their condolences online.
My heart is broken. I am sorry @sundayfundayz @DJRamble @mindythelion. I am so sorry. pic.twitter.com/C7XEjPco8P
— Lilly Singh (@IISuperwomanII) July 5, 2018
I am absolutely saddened by the news today that my pal Ryker and his friend Alexey dove in Shannon falls to save Megan after she fell into the current… they all tragically passed today. Your HighOnLife videos, energy, and spirit will be missed but not be forgotten :'(
— Harrison Houde (@HarrisonHoude) July 5, 2018
So heart broken and stunned to hear about the passing of Ryker, Alexey from @sundayfundayz along with Alexey’s girlfriend, Megan. We watched High On Life for inspiration when we were just starting..so much love, joy and adventure. May they rest in peace <3
— Yes Theory (@YesTheory) July 6, 2018
In their statement, the team also emphasized that they would continue to document their travel adventures, as Gamble and Lyakh would have wanted, claiming, “They lived every single day to its fullest; they stood for positivity, courage, and living the best life that you can […] As tragic as their loss is, their message lives on through us all and it is now our responsibility to keep that message going.”