North Face Co-Founder Dies in Kayaking Accident

Douglas Tompkins, co-founder of The North Face and Esprit and a life-long environmentalist, died Tuesday at the age of 72 in a kayaking accident in the Patagonia region of southern Chile. Tompkins and five friends’ kayaks capsized on General Carrera Lake.

Tompkins spent a “considerable amount of time” in waters below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the New York Times, and ultimately died in the intensive care unit at a hospital in the area due to severe hypothermia.

https://twitter.com/bruneski/status/674534474827329536 is a huge loss,” said Sara Larrain, a long-time friend of Tompkins who leads a Chilean environmental group. “This is somebody who put all his energy, all his fortune and his spirit in preserving ecosystems.”

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