Young Richmond man found dead in Thailand

VANCOUVER – A 26-year-old Richmond man who found Internet fame during the Winter Olympics died in Thailand on Tuesday after apparently falling from a train and suffering a head injury, according to local media.

Jordan Krull’s body was found in the Photharam district of Ratchaburi province, about 500 metres from Chet Samian railway station around 4:30 a.m., according to the Bangkok Post. He was carrying his passport, ID card and 8,000 baht, or about $269 Cdn, in cash.

It was believed he might have fallen, unnoticed, from the train while standing on a step at an open doorway, the paper reported. He had sustained a head wound.

Krull, who had limited resources but often said he survived on “sheer will,” had told friends that his journey to Thailand was part of a bigger plan to find purpose and “figure [things] out in the world.” Since May, he had also travelled to Shanghai, Hong Kong and Pakistan, carrying with him a few belongings, including a leather-bound notebook in which he often wrote freestyle rhymes. He was also known to burst into rhyme during conversation.

“I’m still proud that he went and did this,” said Krull’s sister, Courtenay Anderson. “He was just really ready to find something new, to reinvent himself.”

Krull grew to fame during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, after his plan to light a cigarette off the Olympic torch went awry when he was tackled to the ground by police and a video of the incident went viral on YouTube.

The video, titled Jesus arrested at the Olympic torch relay – a reference to Krull’s scraggly hair and bushy goatee – has been viewed more than 309,000 times to date.

Krull’s brother, Jason, recalled with a laugh that he had planned to continue his legacy at future Olympics.

“He wanted to steal the flame in London 2012, and then in Sochi,” he said. “He was nervous about the Russian officials in Sochi, though.”

Krull will likely be cremated at a Buddhist monastery before his ashes are brought back to Vancouver for a service, his brother said.

awoo@vancouversun.com