Travel Vloggers Ryker Gamble and Alexey Lyakh, and Lyakh’s girlfriend Megan Scraper, died after they went over a waterfall in British Columbia.
The trio had hiked up to Shannon Falls, about 40 miles north of Vancouver, and were swimming in a shallow pool, when they slipped and fell. According to the Vancouver Sun, Scraper slipped and fell, and when Lyakh and Gamble attempted to save her, they were also swept away into a pool system 100 feet below.
Higher temperatures this week apparently made water flows more intense than usual.
Squamish Search and Rescue was able to drop into the pool they fell into to recover all three of the bodies. They said that, though the area is open to the public, individuals wanting to climb through the falls or go swimming should take extreme caution.
There have been previous rescues in the area this year, though Gamble, Lyakh and Scraper are the first fatalities. Gamble and Lyakh ran the travel brand High on Life SundayFundayz, often shortened to just High on Life. Along with their friend and partner Parker Heuser, they had over one million followers on Instagram and half a million subscribers on YouTube, a channel they’d run since 2011.
Trying to get the perfect shot for their channel could occasionally get them into trouble.
In 2016, Gamble and Lyakh were labeled as the “Tourist Bros” after they illegally trampled on Yellowstone’s Grand Prismatic Spring. Both men paid fines of $5,000 and served a week in jail. They said at the time: “When standing at the face of such natural wonder, we were drawn to it. In an attempt to get the perfect shot, we acted in a way that doesn’t reflect our respect for the environment we were trying to capture.”
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Gamble’s girlfriend, Alissa Hansen, posted a touching tribute to Instagram. She shared a poem from creator Heather Obscura, and followed it with: “May we all send prayers to their souls as they transition.”
In a video posted to their channel, Parker Heuser appeared with the rest of the High on Life team to share an inspirational passage written by Gamble and Lyakh They’ve asked fans to share ways that the channel has encouraged and motivated them using the hashtag #HOLInspired.
And people have been doing so. CharmGriffiths wrote: “High on life was one of the first travel videos I stumbled upon. I watched 3 years of travel in 3 minutes over and over again. So inspired to do more, see more and be more.” And wannabetravelersite wrote: “Thank you for everything. You have inspired so many of us and you have touched many hearts. Watching your videos makes me think that everything is possible. Your legacy will always live”
Other influencers who knew Gamble, Lyakh and Scraper have been sharing their own memories online.
Lilly Singh wrote: “My heart is broken. I am sorry. I am so sorry.”, and Joe Sugg wrote that he “spent countless hours watching their vids and following their adventures.”
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A Memorial Fund has been set up on GoFundMe in honor of the deceased.
Do you have a favorite memory from the High on Life channel? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter at @WhatsTrending.
