mike hughes cause of death

A group of spectators gathered around him. However, a BLM spokesman said its local field office had no record of speaking to Hughes at the time. But for what? The UK Is Enduring an Onslaught of Scarlet Fever. He had said he intended to make multiple rocket journeys, culminating in a flight to outer space, where he believed he would be able to take a picture of the entire Earth as a flat disc. Terms of Service apply. A handful of newcomers had shown up. Similarly, those who promote the flat-earth movement (primarily on the internet), particularly such stunts, bear some responsibility for Hughes death. Ill officially say that.. We want to hear it. His launch was reportedly filmed as part of Homemade Astronauts, a new TV series about amateur rocket makers. Ad Choices, DIY Rockets, Daredevils, and the Tragedy of Mad Mike Hughes. Its over, stalwart team member Danny Bern added. Email me with new blog posts by Danny Faulkner Blog: This site is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google The Science Channel show, Homemade Astronauts, documented three self-financed teams as they attempt to get a rocket into space on a shoestring budget. Far from prompting people to re-examine their own beliefs, if anything Hughes death cemented their commitment to chasing what they believe to be the truth at any cost. The National Library of Medicine describes Hughes' cause of death as a "rare congenital abnormality" that represents less than 3% of coronary anomalies. I think the mainstream media gave him way more attention than he deserved. The root of this objection, however, had less to do with safety and more to do with community members questioning the purity of his motives, the seriousness of his project he never contributed anything evidential, as far as Im aware, says Long or his alignment with the Flat Earth cause. In response to a request for comment, a representative for the Science Channel said, Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends during this difficult time. Despite the coverage Hughes efforts attracted, he was a highly divisive figure within the Flat Earth community. His mission was to launch his vessel to a height of 35,000-feet in . Others have claimed that Hughes was whisked away by authorities to learn from him, and so his death was staged as a cover for Hughes disappearance. He was also a flat-Earth conspiracy theorist known for flying self-built rockets. Something was always going wrong. The cartoon book includes 400 drawings covering the aviation industry. Alex Wigglesworth is an environment reporter who covers wildfires for the Los Angeles Times. I would think if you were gonna do a TV show like that youd look at the engineering of the thing and at least give him some engineering advice.. When Waldo scampered clear, I repositioned myself behind an EMS van for protection. A Philadelphia native, she graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in medical anthropology and global health. Even an itinerant desert rat and amateur snake expert who answered to the name King Daddy Master. [3] Although a public promoter of the flat Earth model, following his death his public relations representative said that Hughes had only used flat Earth as a PR stunt to acquire funding for his rockets. Yeah, I guess. Video of the tragic accident, which took place in Barstow, California, was captured by reporter Justin Chapman. He was quite the celebrity among that flat-earthers at that meeting. When the rocket cleared the rail, it shifted to the right, as if it had been hip-checked by an rogue air current. As a part of a stunt, Mike was attached with a homemade rocket which was launched but quickly it was crashed. I passed by the display of his rocket several times, hoping to speak to him, but he was always busy talking to other people, so I never got the chance. So the carnival headed back to Amboy last summer. Chute! He was known as Mad Mike Hughes. Yeah, for sure, absolutely it was. I'm not much for authority or rules. Chute. [5][6][7] He stated during an interview with the Associated Press in 2018 that he had planned to run for Governor of California. He died on February 22, 2020, while filming a stunt for an upcoming Science Channel television series. And Ill always regret it. Since then, Ive read long, dry obituaries in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post. Waldo asked me, You know what will happen if we get him into space and get him down alive?, Ill be the most famous guy on the planet! Mike crowed before I could reply. The parachute? Thanks for coming all the way out here. I didnt see it. [29][30], Daredevil Mad Mike Hughes Death, Rocket Crash, reach above the atmosphere into outer space, List of inventors killed by their own inventions, "Self-Taught Rocket Scientist Mad Mike Hughes Plans to Launch Over Ghost Town", "Daredevil dies after homemade rocket crashes in desert while filming TV show", "Death of rocket man 'Mad Mike' Hughes ends years of close calls", "A flat-Earther's plan to launch himself in a homemade rocket has been postponed again", "Flat-Earther's steam-powered rocket lofts him 1,875 feet up into Mojave Desert sky", "Flat-Earther 'Mad' Mike Hughes forced to delay launch of homemade rocket", "A flat-Earther's plan to launch himself in a homemade rocket just hit a speed bump", "Self-taught rocket scientist 'Mad' Mike Hughes blasts off into California sky", "Self-taught rocket scientist eyes new launch date in Calif", "Analysis | A flat-earther finally tried to fly away. Despite the utter lack of evidence surrounding the Flat Earth theory and intense criticism from scientists like Neil deGrasse Tyson, the Flat Earth theory has gained traction in recent years (one 2018 poll found that two percent of more than 10,000 respondents harbored such views), and has been promoted by such high-profile figures as Kyrie Irving and musician B.o.B. Grinning fiercely, Waldo told me, Im going to send this guy into space, and people are going to go, Two fucking hillbillies living in Apple Valley built a spaceship, promoted it themselves, hooked it to a balloon, and launched him into space.. And luckily it didnt turn out that way for us that day.. Also, their homemade rocket was for a Science Channel series, Homemade Astronauts. It is believed to be a point between outer space and earths atmosphere or in simple words, beginning of the space. He gained support within the flat-Earth community in 2016. On February 22,Daredevil Mad Mike Hughes perishedwhen his steam-engined rocket crashed in the Barstow, California desert. Privacy Policy and He died following his steam-powered rocket crash-landing an open desert in Barstow, California. Re: Death of Mike Hughes Reply #31 on: March 02, 2020, 12:57:32 PM Yes, publically he was a flat earth believer, however behind the scenes there is a lot of evidence to suggest he wasn't, and just slapped the sticker on because then he gets media attention. I met Mike through Waldo Stakes. But that project, while far-fetched, had some legitimate merits, whereas this was purely a PR stunt. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mike Hughes family and friends during this difficult time. The WIRED conversation illuminates how technology is changing every aspect of our livesfrom culture to business, science to design. Waldo checked out the steam rocket Mike had built at a truck shop in Fontana. I stayed away from the crew as the water pressure rose. Once hed wriggled inside, Waldo secured the door behind him. Mike Hughes started to gain the limelight after setting a Guinness world record holder for jumping 103-foot in a Lincoln Town Car stretch limo. Over the years, hed worked as a motorcycle racer, race car fabricator, race car mechanic, NASCAR crew chief, and limousine driver. He must have realized that the launch was a fools play, pulling to an inside straight, but it was the only play he had. However, he hadnt shared any further information regarding his marriage and who is his wife. Another blast is on the way. The series, produced by World of Wonder, was set to premiere some time in 2020. We all understood that the chances of success were minimal. There has never been another death on the field. Mike, along with Waldo Strakes, built a homemade steam-powered rocket whose intention was to fly 5000 feet in the year. A representative of Mad Mike has explained what went wrong during the daredevils fatal rocket launch last month. Mike, along with Waldo Strakes, built a homemade steam-powered rocket whose intention was to fly 5000 feet in the year. And yet, as I stood among the sagebrush outside Barstow, gazing at the progress of a tiny white speck against the blue sky, I found myself chanting commands to someone who I knew couldnt hear me. A heater core leaked. On Saturday, 64-year-old Mad Mike Hughes was killed when a rocket he was attached to crashed in the desert in San Bernardino County, California. Mike Hughes taking a break in August 2019 while prepping his rocket for a launch in the Mojave Desert. You can also sign up for our free print newsletter (US only). But I knew a cant-miss story when I saw one. So it was possible to indulge in some magical thinking and imagine that maybe, against all odds, Mike might be able to emerge from the cockpit reasonably unscathed. A crew member was hurt so badly that part of his leg was later amputated. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time I had no attachment to him or his rocket launches. The more outlandish and provocative the content, the more interest, and hence more views. However, his landing led him three days to recover. [16] The steam-powered rocket launched at a sharp angle to avoid falling back to Earth on public land, and landed about 1,500 feet (460m) away from the launch point. [11] Hughes moved his launch pad 4 miles (6km) so that he could take off and land on private property, but the BLM maintained he still needed to fill out permits. The mayor/owner of Amboy, along with two of the three full-time residents. But it occurred to me that if Hughes were to die in a launch, those promoting the flat-earth movement would have at least some blood on their hands. 2023 Cond Nast. The project sounded insanely sketchy. To minimize costs, Waldo had already rigged up a cockpit out of the wingtip tank from a Cold Warera Lockheed F-94 Starfighter, with air provided by a breathing bottle from a similar vintage Boeing B-50 Superfortress bomber. 'Mad' Mike Hughes was killed in a rocket crash in the desert in California. The stunt landed him in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest limousine ramp jump, beating a previous 75-foot jump Hughes made in Las Vegas. In 2002, he had already set a Guinness Word Record as he jumped about 103 foot in at Lincon Car stretch Limo. Fame and fortune? He is known for other names like Mad Mike Hughes and Daredevil. Also, after a visual inspection, other members of the crew were convinced that the rocket was going to clip the frame of the launch rig on the way up. A tire blew out. Daredevil "Mad Mike" Hughes died during an attempt to launch his homemade rocket Saturday. In numerous interviews, he had stated that the goal of his rocket launches was to prove that the planet was not spherical (as, again, all scientific evidence indicates), but Frisbee-shaped.. Is the US Next? That belief has circulated among flat-earthers since his appearance at the 2018 FEIC. That did surprise me, he said. He had a lot of time to surf YouTube and he went down the YouTube rabbit hole and developed some weird beliefs., In 2018, Hughes successfully launched himself in a rocket nearly 1,900 feet in the air and landed in the Mojave Desert near Amboy, Calif., a feat captured on camera for Rocketman., When we were filming it, we were thinking to ourselves, Wow, this is dangerous, Brusseau said. But, on the 24th of March 2018, he was successful in reaching the height of 1,875 feet and had a hard landing in the Mojave desert. We couldnt see clearly how it had landed. Thanks for contacting us. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. Hughes was always planning his next stunt, with each one taking him higher than the last. This, it turned out, was Mike Hughes, who billed himself as the worlds most famous limo driver by virtue of having set a world record for the longest jump in a Lincoln Town Car with the flying qualities of a cinderblock. He postponed his launch due to mechanical troubles. Rare Fugazi Live Footage Stitched Into New Movie to Screen One Night Only in Washington D.C. A$AP Rocky Wonders How to Break Violent Cycles in Hip-Hop on Tribute Single Same Problems', Adi Oasis Channels High Fashion and Euphoria in Video for Ovulation Anthem Multiply. Well, what did we expect? The reaction of the flat-earth community has been varied. This story has been shared 114,809 times. Then, he planned to launch the rocket on the 10th of August 2019, which was postponed. But I knew how badly things could go wrong. At least I can go home and have dinner and see my cats tonight., A post shared by Rocketman. Hughes acknowledged there were risks, telling the Associated Press: "It's scary as hell. Released in August 2019, this 94-minute documentary, co-directed by Toby Brusseau and Michael Linn, starred Mike Hughes, Waldo Sykes, Patrick Marchese. Videos of the launch show that his parachute opened and detached from the rocket almost instantly, dooming Hughes to a high-velocity impact on the desert floor shortly after that. I headed to Barstow first thing Saturday morning feeling a sense of dread. But, of course, his biggest delusion was that there was widespread interest in his antics. Video of the tragic accident, which took place in Barstow, California, was captured by reporter Justin Chapman. Not only that, he was a Guinness world record holder for jumping 103-foot in a Lincoln Town Car stretch limo. The challenge, I suggested, wasnt shooting Mike into space. The Movie. Incredibly, the team was still dicking around with technical issues when I drove up. Its easy to ridicule the Mike Hugheses of the world, have-nothings who gamble their lives on a lottery offering only a microscopic chance of success. Social media platforms like YouTube have also been criticized for serving as a platform for those espousing Flat Earth views, a criticism that last year it addressed by tweaking its algorithm to prevent from recommending such content to users. MIKE, THROW THE GODDAMNED CHUTE!. Some undoubtedly do it for pleasure. Last spring, Waldo called to tell me hed hatched a crazily ambitious plan: He wanted to send Mike into space. He was convinced that shadowy international cabals were running the world. He was closely associated with the Flat Earth movement, hosting a show on the internet radio station Flat Earth Radio and raising thousands of dollars on GoFundMe in Flat Earth-assisted crowdfunding campaigns. But we also knew that the boldness of the project, the eccentricities of the central characters, and the challenges of hacking together a homebuilt spacecraft on a shoestring budget would make for a compelling read. The homebrew rocket maker had dreams of fame and fortune. As of 2020, Mikes net worth was estimated at $500 thousand. Please refresh the page and try again. He shared a video on Twitter and said Mad Mike Hughes just launched himself in a self-made steam-powered rocket and crash landed. Flat Earth Community Undeterred by Death of Mad Mike Hughes, Violated, Confused, and Incredibly Disrespected: Another Woman Accuses Andrew Callaghan of Sexual Misconduct, Andrew Callaghan, Popular Host of All Gas No Brakes and Channel 5, Accused of Sexual Misconduct, Mormon Church Sent Patients to Sex Therapist Even After One Accused Him of Abuse. I dont want to take anyone elses word for it, he said after a March 2018 launch in the Mojave Desert in which he shot his homemade rocket over 1,800 feet into the sky, I dont know if the world is flat or round.. In the aftermath of Hughess death, many viewed it as the ultimate culmination of the dangers of pseudoscience, heavily criticizing the media, particularly the Science Channel, for giving oxygen to his views. It took me two years to figure out how this works. Down the line! It drives me crazy. You could argue that Mike knew what he was getting into, and hed signed the liability waivers to prove it. mike hughes cause of death It was late afternoon, and the guys were thrashing to get Mike into the rocket before the last of the light faded. Then we waited anxiously for Mike to deploy the parachutes. Mounted nearly 15 degrees from vertical on a launch rail that resembled an industrial-grade erector set, the rocket looked like the kind of thing you might have doodled during an especially tedious junior-high earth science classa slender fuselage bracketed by a needle-shaped nose and four fins at the base. WIRED is where tomorrow is realized. "Mad Mike" Hughes died on February 22 when the parachutes on his homemade steam rocket failed to deploy and he augured into the sagebrush near Barstow, California, like a giant lawn dart . You're almost done! In the end, he was too brave and tenacious for his own good. His mission was to launch his vesselto a height of 35,000-feet in an attempt to confirm his theory that the earth is flat. Hughes was a member of the Flat Earth community, a subculture consisting of people who (despite all scientific evidence pointing squarely to the contrary) believe that the Earth is not round, but flat. He built his first manned rocket in 2014 a contraption he called the X-2 SkyLimo and managed to launch himself more than 1,300 feet over Winkelman, Ariz., he told the Associated Press. To them, this was just a lark. Trying to set a land speed record or breaking the sound barrier struck me as goals worth aspiring to. He stated that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) approved him to launch his rocket and he is awaiting approval from the Federal Aviation Administration. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. I think thats what hit us then and there: this is completely dangerous. But none of us are getting out of this world alive. Daredevil Mad Mike Hughes perishedwhen his steam-engined rocket crashed, https://twitter.com/_/status/1231336002175717376. Predictably, everything went wrong during the next attempt, when Mikes latest steam rocket ignited prematurely, before hed even climbed into the cockpit. [4], In 2002, Hughes set a Guinness World Record with a 103-foot (31m) jump in a Lincoln Town Car stretch limousine. Nobody gave a shit about this stunt. Progress ceased when Mike was arrested and jailed for extortion, but work resumed after a benefactor bailed him out. My editor there pitched the piece to his colleagues as a classic WIRED chronicle of DIY obsessives who were attempting something that typically requires tens of millions of dollars, scads of engineers, and endless testing. Still, others are motivated by money. On Saturday, he was working on to launch a self made rocket for a new science series called Homemade Astronauts and he was going to be featured on TV show on Discoverys Science Channel. [8], In 2016, Hughes launched a failed fundraising attempt for a rocket that raised $310. On September 28, 2002, he made into the Guinness Book of World Records after jumping 103 feet in a 6,500 ton Lincoln Town Car stretch limousine at Perris Auto Speedway. Four months later, after several launches were aborted, there was a successful flight (followed by another brutal landing that left Mike pissing into a bottle for three days because he couldnt make it to the bathroom). The documentary has a happy ending, one that the filmmakers wish translated to real life. [9][2][10], According to the Associated Press, Hughes built his first crewed rocket on January 30, 2014, and flew 1,374 feet (419m) in just over one minute over Winkelman, Arizona. A risk that was too high. Now theres a breakthrough. Cross-court! shell shout at the screen. The 1:53 min long video was directed by Kansas Bowling and featured footage of his "Flat Earth" rocket launch in Apple Valley. It made him feel alive to do these types of stunts. This is particularly true of those in the flat-earth movement who arent serious about the earth being flat. DAREDEVIL 'Mad' Mike Hughes has died after launching himself in the air with a self-made rocket and crash landing into the ground. He was a lonely guy, Linn said. (Apparently, theyd been stolen by local meth heads.). My girlfriend is a fanatical Roger Federer fan who dies a little every time he loses a point. A US daredevil pilot has been killed during an attempted launch of a homemade rocket in the Californian desert. The death of "Mad" Mike Hughes has brought attention to the danger of promoting pseudoscience but Flat Earthers stand by their "mission". The US is more alert to the risks of strep infections, but the UK has better data. I listened skeptically as Waldo sketched out the scenario in the wood-paneled living room of Mikes small, dark, sparsely furnished house, while four cats slinked shamelessly over the sofa and coffee table. Its suspected that Mike blacked out due to the rocket having blasted off at around 500 MPH. This was partly out of a sense of self-preservation; at this point, the rocket was effectively a bomb. All Rights reserved. Sure enough, I approached WIRED and got a green light. I could run for president. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. As freelance journalist Justin Chapman told NPR, the goal of such expeditions was not so much to prove that the earth was flat, as it was to bring attention to the Flat Earth cause. (A representative for Hughes also confirmed this in a statement to BuzzFeed, saying he did not actually believe in the theory and that we used flat Earth as a PR stunt. Heres a timeline, Crusading vet treats some of L.A.s most cherished residents: The pets of skid row, The Times podcast: How the California GOP lost its national sway, Veterans claim anti-vet bias in Metros choice of muralist for a new VA station, California faces catastrophic flood dangers and a need to invest billions in protection, Caregiver sentenced to life in prison for unspeakable sexual abuse of disabled children. Because it was people like me who imbued his quest with some larger meaning. Not only that, his childrens identity remains confined. Our thoughts & prayers go out to his family & friends during this difficult time. Hughes stated that the injuries suffered from the flight put him in a walker for two weeks. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. 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Coronavirus Is Spreading And So Are the Hoaxes and Conspiracy Theories Around It. Daredevil Flat Earther 'Mad Mike' Hughes Dies When Self-Made Rocket Crashes The video, posted to Twitter by Justin Chapman, a freelance journalist who witnessed and recorded the fatal crash, begins by showing the self-made rocket seconds before it takes off from a guide rail attached to a large white truck in Barstow, California. Finally, Waldo and several of Mikes friends began walking toward the wreckage. The launch was initially scheduled for last August but was moved several times due to technical difficulties. But for me, at least, that would have freighted his death with more meaning than dying while freestyling into a crevasse or big-wave surfing. Over the next couple years, Hughes began saying in interviews that he believed the earth was flat Frisbee-shaped, and that he wanted to go up into space to make sure. After three weekends of failure, Mike and Waldo put the project on hiatus. Mike Hughes was born in Barstow, California, in 1955. He died following his rocket crash-landing in the open desert in California on 22 February 2020. Help us to update this page. What people need to realize is this is going to be the most-watched event in the history of mankind. He raised thousands of dollars onGoFundMe to finance the construction of his rockets. The 64-year-old American daredevil and flat Earth cons Was it worth it to create the awareness?, Sargent asked, referring to the communitys helping to fund and draw attention to Hughess suicidal efforts. #MadMike #MadMikeHughes pic.twitter.com/svtviTEi8f, Justin Chapman (@justindchapman) February 22, 2020, document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()), Lindsey Lagestee Wiki, Biography, Age, Family, Boyfriend, death Cause, caree. It was always his dream to do this launch & Science Channel was there to chronicle his journey". Freelance journalist Justin Chapman is writing a book about Hughes, and was at the final launch in the desert outside Barstow, Calif. "There were about 50 spectators there," Chapman said. Death Cause. However, he holds the American nationality and white ethnical background. In 1974, he turned pro, and in 1979, he became the top Ice Speedway motorcycle racer in the U.S., the biography says. Fatal Rocket Crash Landing", "Daredevil dies during homemade rocket launch in California", "A Daredevil Flat Earther Died After Attempting To Launch Himself 5,000 Feet With A Homemade Rocket", "Mike Hughes, 64, D.I.Y. [11][12] There was no video of Hughes entering the rocket and there were doubts that he was in it when it launched. Disoriented, Mike released the compressed-air-powered parachutes while he was still traveling too fast. But Mike wanted to fly higher, faster, farther. Mike wanted to build the rocket himself, he said. Chute! Even that was supposed to be merely the lead up to what Hughes spoke of as the ultimate launch, one that would take him 62 miles up, to a designation known as the Karman Line, which marks the border between Earths atmosphere and space. accident on rt 15 dillsburg, pa today; leonardo de lozanne estatura; affects relatively small area in width and distance; i spit on your grave (2010) full movie 123movies There was no official anything. Waldo Stakes who was working on the same project as a colleague of Mad Mike also confirmed that It was Unsuccessful and he passed away However he further refused to made any statements of comments on this regard. A smattering of reporters and photographers. Mad Mike Hughes just launched himself in a self-made steam-powered rocket and crash landed. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time Waldo walked back from the crash, looking grim. The hard-working crew (left to right) Waldo Stakes, Steve Talbert (security), Mad Mike, Mike Hawkins (longtime friend of Mikes), Albert Okura (the mayor/owner of Amboy), Danny Bern (stalwart crew member) and Bill Inman (builder of his own steam-engine rockets). CHUTE! (Jessica Shuster) By Alex Wigglesworth Staff Writer Feb. 24, 2020 5 AM PT In. Try downloading another browser like Chrome or Firefox. He later changed his schedule to 2 December 2017. It was horrible, he says. The series was scheduled to air on the US Science Channel. During his failed rocket launch in March 2018, the $20K rocket was named Research Flat Earth, and was crowdfunded by a group of the same name. The San Bernardino County Sheriffs Office said, rocket crash off highway 247 in Barstow, California, on Saturday afternoon. The series was scheduled to air on the US Science Channel. But Michael Linn, Brusseaus partner on the documentary, said that, based on his conversations with Hughes, the belief appeared to be genuine. Those dreams ended on the edge of the Mojave Desert. He was 64. But I didnt say anything, just as Id never said anything about the lack of an automatic parachute-deployment system, which seemed like a no-brainer. Likewise Mike Hughes' tragic death. He wanted to do something original, and he came up with the idea of jumping a limo, Brusseau said.

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