Daredevil and flat-Earth conspiracy theory theorist “Mad Mike” Hughes passed away in a DIY rocket accident in the Barstow, The golden state desert, regional authorities, TMZ, local media, and also the Associated Press reported Saturday. He was 64 years of ages.
Footage shot by journalist Justin Chapman (ingrained listed below) shows up to reveal his parachute separated during the rocket’s ascent; Hughes fell a number of hundred feet without a parachute as well as crash-landed onto the ground. Hughes had a lengthy background of introducing himself on his crowd-funded, Do It Yourself, steam-powered rocket jazzed up with the words “FLAT EARTH” in an effort to verify that the Earth is without a doubt level.
In 2017, he elevated $8,496 on GoFundMe for the rocket. In previous launches, he flew as high at 1,875 feet into the air at rates of concerning 350 Miles Per Hour. The eventual objective of these launches was to release himself approximately the needed 35,000-foot altitude required to see (or, in Hughes’ situation, not see) the curvature of the Earth. A video clip published prior to Saturday’s launch effort reveals a larger rocket than one he ‘d flown on in the past, and words APARTMENT EARTH had actually been changed with an ad for Hud, a connection and also dating application. His official YouTube web page posted a songs video of the Death Valley Girls’ “(One Less Point) Before I Pass away,” reduced with formerly shot video footage of Hughes’ previous crashes. It was published with the hashtag #RIPMADMIKE in the title of the video clip.
Hughes recognized in a previous meeting with VICE that he realized his feats were unsafe.
“When I’m strolling up the ramp, and also I’m believing: Am I walking up to the hangings where I am going to hang myself? That goes through your mind. I was asking myself if this was the last thing I was going to do,” he claimed. “I’m a genuine person. I put on my large child trousers as well as I man up as well as I do points as well as I will chance. Extremely few individuals will certainly chance with their lives. I play Perilous.”
Because meeting, Hughes stated he believed that gravity doesn’t exist, that the Earth is “stationary,” which he would not take any type of federal government agency’s word on the form of the Earth.
“I uncommitted if it’s Russia, the United States, or China. I’m mosting likely to rise there and I’m visiting it for myself. I’m mosting likely to have cams with me,” he claimed. “The majority of people are afraid to follow their desires. People desire the security, the insurance, the 401K, and also all that stuff and it’s all crap, OK. There is no such point as protection. What you’ve got is right now– you do not have tomorrow; you do not have following week. You have now. Do the most with what you have actually obtained today. But, in the long run, just be great to people.”
Caution: This video clip shows the deadly accident of Mad Mike Hughes.
Mad Mike Hughes just launched himself in a self-made steam-powered rocket and crash landed. Very likely did not survive. #MadMike #MadMikeHughes pic.twitter.com/svtviTEi8f
— Justin Chapman (@justindchapman) February 22, 2020
This write-up initially appeared on VICE US.
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