‘Storm Chasers’ Joel Taylor Died While Vacationing on Cruise Ship

Professional storm chaser Joel Taylor died while vacationing on a cruise ship.

According to The Blast, Taylor, 38, had been on a week-long voyage aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship at the time of his death. The cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas, which was chartered by a private company, had departed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Saturday, Jan. 20. Taylor’s death occurred on Monday, Jan. 22, while the ship was docked in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Taylor’s cause of death is still unclear. His body is currently undergoing an autopsy in Puerto Rico.

News of the 38-year-old’s death was announced Tuesday on Twitter by Reed Timmer, Taylor’s friend and former cast member on the Discovery Channel documentary reality TV series Storm Chasers.

“RIP my best friend and storm chasing partner, Joel Taylor. I am shocked and absolutely devastated by the loss of my incredible, caring friend. We chased so many intense storms, and I wish we could have just one more storm chase. I’ll miss you forever, Joel. We lost a legend,” Timmer tweeted along with a series of photos of the pair while storm chasing.

The Elk City, Oklahoma native starred on the Discovery Channel series from 2008 up until its cancellation in 2012. The series was filmed annually in the area known as Tornado Alley, where meteorologists could study the most frequent and severe storms and tornadoes in the central part of the country.

His death has left the storm chasing community and fans of Taylor devastated, many taking to social media with their condolences.

“Wow. What terribly sad news about Joel Taylor. My heart goes out to all those who were impacted by him; his friends, his family, all those who loved him. Hug your loved ones a little longer tonight, friends,” one user wrote on Twitter.

The cruise ship that Taylor was on at the time of his death features waterslides, surf simulators, an ice rink, a carousel, a miniature golf course, a casino, and two rock climbing walls, though it is not known if Taylor’s death is linked to any of those features.