YouTube Star Josh Neuman Dies in Plane Crash

On Wednesday, Icelandic authorities said the social media star, best known to his 1.2 million followers for his daredevil skateboarding videos, was killed in a plane crash near Reykjavik on Sunday.

According to the Associated Press, Neuman was on a trip with 32-year-old skydiving influencer, Nicola Bellavia, to create content for Belgian fashion brand Suspicious Antwerp when the aircraft crashed into Lake Thingvallavatn. After poor weather conditions delayed the search, divers apparently found four bodies up to 157 feet in the water, per officials. The other two bodies have been identified as sponsorship manager Tim Alings, 27, and pilot Haraldur Diego, 49.

In an email statement obtained by the news organization, Suspicious Antwerp spokesperson Bram Boriau explained Neuman and Bellavia were chosen as they were "hugely passionate about travel and content creation." The brand also wrote on its website that "the loss of our close friends has left all of us at Suspicious Antwerp in a state of mourning."

"We want to express our immense gratitude to everyone for their support, condolences and love," the company continued. "The same gratitude goes out to the emergency services, volunteers and many others that have been and are still working selflessly day and night to help the loved ones find closure."

Meanwhile, Neuman's family took to his Instagram to thank his supporters and announce that they would be establishing a charity that will "continue to forever support his dream to make a meaningful difference for the world that we live in, so that his name, and his enduring spirit, will never perish."

"Josh didn't just live life, he was life, and he lived every day to the fullest extent possible while being kind to everyone," they said. "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.'"

Read their full statement below.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Josh Neuman (@joshneuman)

Photo via YouTube