A family holiday in Brazil ended in tragedy after 17-year-old Colombian beauty influencer Sofia Murillo, her mother, Wendy Manrique, and her grandmother, Rocio Cubillos, were killed in a helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday.
The family had arranged a 20-minute sightseeing flight over the city, hoping to see the famous Christ the Redeemer statue from the air. With the helicopter limited to three passengers per trip, the relatives were forced to divide into two groups.
Sofia, her mother and grandmother boarded the first flight at about 11 a.m., while her uncle, his wife and their 15-year-old daughter remained at the hangar waiting for the second trip. Pilot Alessandro Rocha was also on the helicopter that later crashed.
Shortly after take-off, the helicopter crashed in a remote area covered by dense woodland before catching fire, making rescue and recovery operations more difficult.
All four occupants of the helicopter died in the incident. According to Sofia’s uncle, the family did not receive an official alert about the crash and instead learned of the tragedy through news reports while they were still at the hangar.
The company operating the sightseeing flight said the helicopter had undergone the necessary maintenance, adding that it had the required operating permit and that Rocha was properly licensed to fly the aircraft.
Authorities have yet to determine what caused the crash as the investigation continues. A social media commenter, however, alleged that civil defence authorities had warned of strong winds in Rio before the helicopter took off. Sofia had amassed more than 250,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok, where she shared beauty advice and reviews of cosmetic products.
Her final post was published three days before the fatal accident. The crash also prompted comparisons with the death of musician Oliver Tree, who was killed in a separate helicopter collision in Rio de Janeiro less than two months earlier.
