Paul L. Vasquez, 'Double Rainbow Guy,' Dies At 57

Paul L. Vasquez, best known as the guy from the 2010 "Double Rainbow" viral video, died Saturday at age 57. Vasquez is survived by his son and daughter.

It’s currently unclear what caused Vasquez’s untimely death, but according to a recent post on his Facebook on May 5th, he was recently tested for the coronavirus and said he was ill. “I’ll get my results in two days, however at this point I’m fairly certain that I don’t have it. I didn’t have a fever. Something else is going on with me.”

Days before that on May 3rd, Vasquez posted about having trouble breathing and being feverish, but didn’t seem alarmed. “Whatever happens I’m ready for it, I’m happy to experience it all, it might only be pollen and I’ll have more time in my apartment, if it’s the virus and it’s my time to recycle I look forward to coming back to a new body and starting over, whatever happens I’m enjoying the ride.”

According to the Mariposa County Coroner’s Office, they said he passed early Saturday afternoon while being treated at the John C. Fremont Hospital in California.

Vasquez, who goes by Yosemitebear on social media, became well-known in the early 2010s after uploading his reaction to a double rainbow stretching across the sky above the Yosemite Valley near his property. Since the original upload on January 8th, 2010, the video now has over 47 million views.

In the wake of the video’s popularity, Vasquez appeared on Jimmy Kimmel and Tosh.0, as well as having his clip auto-tuned by The Gregory Brothers, which garnered over 40 million views. His video went on to appear in the opening scene of “We’re the Millers,” and Vasquez himself was also featured in Jennifer Aniston’s advertisement for Smartwater, as well as several others.

In 2015, CNN caught up with him for a video special called “Where is the Double Rainbow guy?” During the clip, Vasquez divulged his life story, as well as how he came to live at Yosemite where the original Double Rainbow video was recorded. He later worked for the National Park Service as a seasonal worker.

A lover of nature and the great outdoors, Vasquez lived on the mountainside property alone and told CNN in the special that this solitude was something he cherished, allowing him to connect with nature and achieve freedom many couldn’t comprehend. “You can’t look at a rainbow anymore and not think about me.”