Conservationist Doug Tompkins Dies Of Hypothermia After Kayak Accident In Chile
On December 8, 2015, Douglas Tompkins, the founder of The North Face and Esprit, died after a kayaking accident in General Carrera Lake in Patagonia on the Chile-Argentina border.
According to Alpinist.com, Tompkins was enjoying a day of paddling on General Carrera Lake with “Rick Ridgeway, Patagonia vice president and part of the first American team to summit K2; Jib Ellison, river guide and Blue Skye founder; Weston Boyles, Rios to Rivers founder and conservationist; and Lorenzo Alvarez, owner of adventure travel outfitter Bio Bio.” Yvon Chouinard was fishing on the shore.
The two-man kayak carrying Tompkins and Ridgeway was capsized by large waves. The men attempted to swim to shore while the other kayakers did their best to tow the men through the rough waters despite the conditions. A helicopter was dispatched to rescue the men, but Tompkins was in 40-degree water for “a couple of hours.” Tompkins was taken by air to Coyhaique where he was pronounced dead from hypothermia. He was 72 years old. Read a detailed account of what happened on Alpinist.com.
Born in 1943, Douglas Rainsford Tompkins was a man who lived life to the fullest. The successful businessman founded both The North Face and Esprit, but after he made his millions he gave it all up and moved to Patagonia in an effort to conserve and preserve one of the world’s last great places.
Over the years, Tompkins dedicated his life to the preservation of Patagonia. As the owner of over two million acres of land, Wikipedia claims that he is one of the largest private land owner in the world. He has created massive park systems such as the Pumalin Park that is covered in “snow-capped volcanoes, Andean mountains, temperate rainforest, and turquoise-colored rivers” (NPR.org). His life and his home sound incredible.
Doug Tompkins lived a beautiful life. This businessman, adventurer, conservationist, and hero will truly be missed. RIP.
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