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Rest in peace, Julian Gauthier.
By Bernadette Giacomazzo — Written on Aug 24, 2019
He was a composer and a musician who went camping in the Canadian wilderness. He never could have dreamed that he'd get mauled to death by a bear. Who is Julian Gauthier?
Let's look at what we know about this man and the unfortunate tragedy that befell him.
1. He was in the Canadian wilderness trying to collect ambient nature sounds.
According to The Irish Times, Julian Gauthier was in the Canadian wilderness because he was trying to collect ambient nature sounds for some recordings he was looking to make. The outlet also reports that he was traveling with a friend, biologist Camille Toscani, but she wasn't hurt in the accident.
2. Julian Gauthier was only 44 years old.
"Gauthier, 44, was dragged from his tent while he and his traveling companion Camille Toscani were sleeping near the Mackenzie River on Thursday. After being alerted by an emergency beacon signal, Royal Canadian Mounted Police found Gauthier’s body on Friday afternoon, and said that “evidence in the investigation confirms a bear encounter," reports People Magazine.
3. He had been planning to take this trip for a few years.
According to The Washington Post, Julian Gauthier had been planning to take a trip to the Canadian wilderness for a few years. The outlet spoke to Camille Toscani, who said that her friend "loved" nature, which is why he was so keen on going to Canada to record music.
4. A bear dragged Julian Gauthier out of his tent.
"Gauthier was sleeping when the bear suddenly dragged him away sometime in the middle of the night, said Toscani, who realized what happened around 7:45 a.m. Thursday and raised a distress alert, according to the report. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police searched the largely isolated area, accessible only by sea or air, and found Gauthier’s body the next day, according to the report," reported The New York Post.
5. He was an accomplished musician in his native France.
According to The Star, Julian Gauthier was an "associate artist" with the Brittany Symphony Orchestra. “His work was faithful to his inquisitive mind, humble in front of the vast power and beauty of nature. I am extremely happy to have known Julien. He brought me a sense of adventure, wonder, and rare intelligence. I am going to miss him terribly. We still had so much road to travel together,” Marc Feldman, a manager with the Symphony, told the outlet.
6. Julian Gauthier left behind a family.
According to That's Life, Julian left behind a devoted girlfriend and a father, Alain.
Our thoughts are with Julian Gauthier 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.