YouTuber Paul Harrell Announces His Own Death at 58
The YouTube community is mourning one of their own.
Paul Harrell, who made a name for himself on the platform posting firearms review videos, died after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 58.
And Paul chose to share the news himself, having his editor Brad Nelson upload a video to his YouTube channel on Sept. 3 with the title, "I'm Dead," in which Paul explained he recorded the message on Dec. 20, 2023.
"I'm recording this and giving Brad instructions to publish it upon my death," he told his YouTube audience. "So, if you're watching me, I'm dead."
The content creator—who had shared his diagnosis in July 2023—noted that while doctors did catch his pancreatic cancer in the early stages, it was not as early as he'd hoped and that "it has spread faster than I thought it would."
"My sincere apologies," he said. "I had hoped I would continue in this format for the next 10 or even 15 years. And even once I was diagnosed, I had hoped that we would be here two or three more years, which turned out to only be a few more months. And my apologies for that, it really makes me feel like I've let everybody down."
Despite his difficult journey, Paul noted that he was "glad to have had this opportunity to do all of the stuff that we've done," and that he hoped his videos were helpful.
"To everyone who has watched, hit the like or dislike icon, commented, shared, subscribed and donated on Patreon," he continued, "thank you. All of those things support the channel greatly, and I can't even begin to articulate how beneficial and appreciated those things are."
Paul ended his video by noting that he had "very few regrets" about the videos and the community of over 1.1 million followers that he made.
"I think we've been, for the most part, successful," he added, "and I hope you agree. So, as always, don't try this at home, and thanks for watching."
Following Paul's message, his brother and collaborator Rob Harrell tacked on a short addendum, explaining Paul had wished for him to "maintain his legacy through this channel by continuing to put out high quality, educational content with the flair we all know and love from him."
And while Rob noted that the channel would take some time to deal with the grief over Paul's death, he hoped they would be back soon and have a chance to honor his brother, saying that he " will remain an inspiration to us all."
Paul's YouTube fans made sure to pay their respects in the comments, noting how much they would miss his videos.
"Paul's last lesson was a master class in dying with grace and dignity," one wrote, while another added, "Only Paul Harrell would apologize posthumously for his own death."
Another user commented, "There's a substantial void in the universe now that cannot be filled. He was ‘what you call a professional,' and will be sorely missed."
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