A Nanaimo couple known worldwide for their adventurous spirit and popular off-roading YouTube channel has died following a crash in the BC Interior.
Family members have confirmed that Matthew Peter Yeomans and Stacey Tourout were killed on Thursday, August 7th, while off-roading near Trout Lake, a remote community in the West Kootenay region between Kaslo and Revelstoke.
The pair, who amassed more than 200,000 subscribers on their Toyota World Runners channel, documented off-road trips through BC and around the globe, as well as RV maintenance, vehicle retrofits, and long-haul overland travel.
Their videos captured adventures from the mountains of British Columbia to the southern tip of Argentina, where Yeomans proposed to Tourout. The couple also maintained a travel blog chronicling their journeys across North and South America.
Kaslo Search and Rescue (SAR) confirmed they were called to the scene around 6:30 p.m. after another off-road party descended from the mountain to find help.
The vehicle had plunged over a steep embankment into a boulder field. SAR manager Mark Jennings-Bates said the terrain was difficult to access, requiring a ground crew, quad team, and a helicopter from Nakusp to reach the site.
“One of the occupants was deceased when we arrived. The other was airlifted within 15 minutes but sadly did not survive,” Jennings-Bates said, noting their vehicle was completely destroyed.
In a joint statement, the couple’s families described their loss as “unimaginable” and paid tribute to the love story that had touched so many.
“They are together forever, as we knew they would always be,” the statement read. “Please keep us and them in your thoughts and prayers as we navigate this devastating end to an amazing love story.”
An outpouring of grief from fans and fellow creators around the world, with tributes posted from as far as New Zealand, where the couple had recently connected with the 4×4 community.
“They were so young and full of life, so talented, and this is a huge loss for our off-road community,” posted The Story Till Now channel. Another fan wrote, “They inspired me to kick my adventures up a level… They will forever be remembered by those they impacted.”
Tourout’s mother, Colleen, expressed comfort in knowing her daughter and Yeomans passed away doing what they loved most—exploring the mountains together.
