Iceland plane crash: US skateboarder Josh Neuman one of four killed

Plane carrying the passengers was found on Saturday in a lake 50 kilometres east of Reykjavik

American skateboarder and social media influencer Josh Neuman was one of four men killed when a sightseeing plane crashed into a lake in Iceland, authorities in the North Atlantic island nation said on Monday.

Neuman, 22, 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.

“Josh represents the side of humanity we all aim to achieve. The way he not just touched, but impacted lives was on a scale of its own,” Neuman's family said in a statement on Instagram.

“In his quest for adventure, thirst for creativity and passion for personal reflection, he truly impacted all those he touched.”

Four bodies were discovered on Sunday in Lake Thingvallavatn, Iceland’s second-largest lake, with the use of an autonomous submarine and sonar technology.

Poor weather has prevented divers retrieving the bodies, found at depths of up to 48 metres.

“For the safety of divers, we have to wait until the weather improves,” police chief Oddur Arnason told The Associated Press.

The Cessna 172 plane didn't send a distress signal after disappearing from radar on Thursday.

More than 1,000 members of Iceland’s Search and Rescue organisation helped hunt for the aircraft, which was found on Saturday in a portion of the lake about 50 kilometres east of Iceland’s capital, Reykjavik.

Neuman was best known for creating one of the most-watched skateboarding videos on YouTube, where his channel has almost 1.2 million subscribers.

His family described him as a “gentle soul that saw the world through an opportunistic lens and took advantage of every moment while inspiring millions along the way".

The skateboarder and influencer began making videos at the age of 12 with his father's camera and later dropped out of college to pursue a career in extreme sports and filmmaking, his website says.

In 2020, he published a sponsored video for Suspicious Antwerp, skating on a longboard down a winding road in Los Angeles.

Suspicious Antwerp spokesman Bram Boriau said the purpose of the flight was to capture footage of Iceland's stunning scenery.

“All persons present were hugely passionate about travel and content creation, hence these themes were the main focus of the trip,” he told the AP by email.