A plane crash in Iceland killed social media influencer Josh Neuman and three other people on Thursday, according to a report by The Associated Press. Neuman was known for his skateboarding content, and he was in Iceland to film new commercial content with another influencer named Nicola Bellavia. He was just 22 years old.
Local Icelandic police told the AP that Neuman was sightseeing on Thursday when the aircraft he was in disappeared from radars. They later found that the plane had crashed into Lake Thingvallavatn, the second-largest lake in Iceland. The plane wasn’t found until Saturday. A massive search and rescue operation was carried out by Iceland’s local organization, but there were no survivors of the crash.
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Neuman was on the plane with Bellavia, a fellow influencer known for skydiving. The two intended to create some action sports videos together. They were also traveling with Tim Alings – a sponsorship manager for the Belgian fashion brand Suspicious Antwerp – and pilot Haraldur Diego. All four passed away in the crash.
Search and Rescue workers used an autonomous submarine with sonar technology to find the remains of the four deceased this weekend. They were about 121 feet underwater, and so far they have not been retrieved. Poor weather conditions have kept divers from being able to reach them.
“For the safety of divers, we have to wait until the weather improves,” explained police chief Oddur Arnason. Neuman’s parents released a statement on Tuesday when the news of his passing officially broke.
“Josh represents the side of humanity we all strive to achieve,” the family wrote. “The way he not just touched, but impacted lives was on a scale of its own. In his quest for adventure, thirst for creativity and passion for personal reflection, he truly impacted all those he touched. As the world sheds a tear, we should know that he passed doing what he loved, having just experienced the Northern Lights in Iceland for the first time and commenting, ‘this is the happiest day of my life.’”
The Neuman family has plans to create a charitable foundation in Josh’s name “to forever support his dream to make a meaningful difference in this world that we live in.” At the time of this writing, Neuman’s YouTube channel and Instagram pages both remain active. Fans have been leaving mournful comments there as they learn of his passing.
