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

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.

It’ll be summer in the city as car show tries to move with the times

If 2008 was the year that rocked Detroit, 2019 will be when Motor City gives its annual car extravaganza a revamp that aims to move with the times.

A major change is that this week's North American International Auto Show will be the last to be held in January, after which the event will switch to June.

The new date, organisers said, will allow exhibitors to move vehicles and activities outside the Cobo Center's halls and into other city venues, unencumbered by cold January weather, exemplified this week by snow and ice.

In a market in which trends can easily be outpaced beyond one event, the need to do so was probably exacerbated by the decision of Germany's big three carmakers – BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi – to skip the auto show this year.

The show has long allowed car enthusiasts to sit behind the wheel of the latest models at the start of the calendar year but a more fluid car market in an online world has made sales less seasonal.

Similarly, everyday technology seems to be catching up on those whose job it is to get behind microphones and try and tempt the visiting public into making a purchase.

Although sparkly announcers clasp iPads and outline the technical gadgetry hidden beneath bonnets, people's obsession with their own smartphones often appeared to offer a more tempting distraction.

“It's maddening,” said one such worker at Nissan's stand.

The absence of some pizzazz, as well as top marques, was also noted by patrons.

“It looks like there are a few less cars this year,” one annual attendee said of this year's exhibitors.

“I can't help but think it's easier to stay at home than to brave the snow and come here.”