Bits and Bites From Around the World > Man Survives Outer Space, Dies in Cessna; Woman Sues Doctor for Being Born

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Millionaire who flew to space on Bezos’ rocket dies in plane crash

12 Nov, 2021 22:56

The late entrepreneur Glen de Vries (far left) is seen in suborbital flight during

Blue Origin's New Shepard mission, October 13, 2021. ©  Reuters / Blue Origin handout

Glen de Vries, the businessman who visited space last month alongside ‘Star Trek’ lead & RT host William Shatner aboard a rocket produced by Jeff Bezos’ aerospace firm, has died in a plane crash at the age of 49.

A small private plane carrying de Vries and another man, 54-year-old Thomas Fischer, crashed in Hampton Township, New Jersey near the border with New York on Thursday, killing both, the New Jersey state police told media outlets.

The 49-year-old had made a brief suborbital flight to space on October 13 with William Shatner, who hosts the talk show ‘I Don’t Understand’ on RT America, as well as Planet Labs co-founder Chris Boshuizen and Audrey Powers, an executive of Bezos’ space tourism company Blue Origin. It was Blue Origin’s second manned space mission, with a third planned for later this year. 

The company also noted the entrepreneur’s passing, saying it was “devastated” by the news, which wasn’t reported until Friday afternoon.

“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,” the firm tweeted.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is investigating the crash, the cause of which remains unclear, police added. FAA records cited by CNN said the plane was a four-seat Cessna 172, which went down under “unknown circumstances in a heavily wooded area.”

Reportedly a certified private pilot, de Vries co-founded Medidata Solutions in 1999, a company that specializes in software used for clinical trials and medical research which has since become among the most-used platforms of its kind in the world.

Woman sues doctor for letting her be born

24 Nov, 2021 19:48

A champion showjumper born with a spinal defect has filed a lawsuit in London against her mother’s physician, alleging that he failed to properly emphasise the importance of supplements in pregnancy, resulting in her disability.

Evie Toombes, 20, of Skegness in Lincolnshire has pressed “wrongful conception” charges against Dr. Philip Mitchell. She claims Mitchell did not advise her mother, Caroline, to take folic acid supplements prior to and during pregnancy, resulting in her “having been born in a damaged state.” 

Toombes is asking for millions in damages to cover the cost of living with her disability. Her barrister told Judge Rosalind Coe QC that Toombes will most likely need a wheelchair as she gets older.

Dr. Mitchell has denied the charges and insisted he gave Caroline Toombes “reasonable” and appropriate medical advice about folic acid supplements. 

Evie Toombes was diagnosed with lipomyelomeningocele (LMM), a form of spina bifida, in November 2001. She works at Nottingham University teaching nursing students, and competes in both “para and able bodied showjumping” equestrian sports, both in the UK and internationally, according to her website.

She has appeared on an episode of ITV’s show about ‘Hidden Disabilities’ and met Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018 after receiving the WellChild Inspiration Young Person Award.

20 years after being diagnosed and she's still show-jumping. I think her law-suit may be a little premature.