One of the lucky few individuals who went into space aboard Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin has passed away in a tragic accident.
49-year-old Glen de Vries was a tech mogul and a billionaire who died just weeks after his dream of going to space came true.
According to the reports, the entrepreneur died in a plane crash in New Jersey’s Sussex County while taking flying lessons with Fischer Aviation’s Thomas Fischer.
As of this writing, it remains unclear who was piloting the aircraft and why the accident had happened in the first place. Both men were declared dead after the plane came crashing down on Thursday afternoon.
Following Vries’ passing, the billionaire’s wife spoke out to pay a tribute to her husband.
“I would just say that Glen was an amazing man, larger than life. He always seemed like a superhero to me, so smart, so talented, generous and really funny. A huge light has gone out in the world,” Maria told The Daily Beast.
Paying a tribute to the “amazing human” and beloved family member was also Glen’s father, Alan, who told the publication that the entire family is devastated and in a state of shock.
“I can only just tell you the family is devastated by this extraordinary loss. He was one of the most amazing human beings you could’ve ever met. He gave so much to so many people, and as a result of his work, probably millions of lives have been saved,” Alan said.
“There is so much to say about him. We’re just devastated. I’m still totally in a state of shock—myself and his mother’s family and my daughter, we’re just all still in a state of shock. He lived life to the fullest, and I think he gave to the fullest. It’s just who he was.”
The tragic accident comes just a month after Vries realized his longtime dream of traveling to space as he joined William Shatner, Audrey Powers, and Chris Boshuizen on Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin rocket for a trip outside the orbit.
“We are devastated to hear of the sudden passing of Glen de Vries.
He brought so much life and energy to the entire Blue Origin team and to his fellow crewmates. His passion for aviation, his charitable work, and his dedication to his craft will long be revered and admired,” Blue Origin said in a statement on Friday.
Our thoughts are with the Vries family during these challenging times.