Josh Neuman, an American skateboarder and influencer, was killed along with three other men after a sightseeing plane crashed into a lake in Iceland, his family confirmed — saying in a Monday night statement he died “doing what he loved.”
Neuman’s family, in a statement posted to his Instagram account, told his 168,000 followers that the 22-year-old had just witnessed the spectacle of the northern lights shortly before his passing.
His family, describing him as a “doer,” a “dreamer” and “gentle soul,” said Neuman’s first sighting of the northern lights left him saying: “This is the happiest day of my life.” The photo they posted showed Neuman surrounded by green flashes dancing around him.
Neuman was on the flight to create commercial content for the Belgian fashion brand Suspicious Antwerp along with Tim Alings, the company’s sponsorship manager, 27; and Nicola Bellavia, a 32-year-old skydiver and social media influencer from Belgium. The pilot, Haraldur Diego, 49, was considered one of Iceland’s most prominent aviators and a pioneer of photography tours.
Police chief Oddur Arnason told the Associated Press that bad weather has prevented rescue teams from retrieving the bodies. “For the safety of divers we have to wait until the weather improves,” Arnason said. Calls to Icelandic police for comment were not returned by early Tuesday.
Neuman, who had been living in Los Angeles, was globally known for his daring skating videos, which showed him speeding through scenic routes around the world. His YouTube channel has almost 1.2 million subscribers.
According to his official website, Neuman had been recording longboarding videos since the age of 12 and had a passion for extreme sports. In recent years, Neuman had worked with brands including Prada, Sony, Lexus and GoPro.
Neuman, the AP reports, “was best known for creating one of the most-watched skateboarding videos on YouTube.”
One video titled “Raw Runn: The Cliffs of France” has been viewed on YouTube more than 1.6 million times since it was first shared in March 2019.
In the comments section, watchers hailed Neuman as “incredible” and “impressive” as footage showed him weaving in and out of tunnels and taking on the road’s dangerous curves with a camera crew following behind.
In an Instagram post shared to Neuman’s official account, his family thanked his supporters who “meant so much to Josh.” His parents, Chris and Kristin, and brother Daniel said they were “devastated and heartbroken” at news of his death.
“Josh didn’t just live life, he was life,” the statement read, adding that the content creator had a “quest for adventure” and viewed “the world through an opportunistic lens.”
In a statement shared to its website, Suspicious Antwerp said it was “enormously distressed by the news” and was doing “everything” to assist the families of those who lost their lives in the disaster.