A 17-year-old beauty influencer, her mother, and grandmother were killed when a tourist helicopter crashed into a forest in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and burst into flames. The four occupants, including the pilot, died on impact.
The Victims and the Crash
Sofia Murillo, a Colombian beauty influencer with over 208,000 TikTok followers, died alongside her mother Wendy Manrique, 37, and grandmother Rocio Cubillos, 59. The pilot, Alessandro Rocha, also perished in the crash.
The Robinson R44 helicopter, operated by a local scenic flight company, departed from Jacarepaguá Airport on Saturday, August 8. It was en route to view Rio's famous landmarks when it went down near Vista Chinesa in the Alto da Boa Vista area.
Family Split into Two Groups
The Colombian family of six had to split into two groups because the helicopter could only carry three passengers. They had arrived in Brazil days earlier to celebrate a relative's 15th birthday and had already visited Christ the Redeemer and the Búzios coastline.
Sofia, her mother, and grandmother boarded the first flight, while the other three family members waited at the airport. When messages from their loved ones stopped, they grew worried. Staff mentioned a possible emergency landing, and the relatives later learned of the crash through news reports.
Recovery and Identification
Firefighters struggled across steep terrain to reach the wreckage. All four bodies were found carbonised. Only Sofia has been formally identified so far, using documents she carried. Dental records and DNA tests are being used to identify the others.
Grief and Tributes
Her uncle, Victor Manrique, who was waiting to take the second flight, said: "My little sister, my mother and my niece, I will love you always in this life and the next." He added: "It hurts because they were very young, especially my niece, who was a 17-year-old girl, very studious, very hardworking. And it hurts because we should have gone in that helicopter."
Victor revealed the family had used their last holiday savings and a credit card to pay for the flight. He said: "We were a very happy family. Life has pleasant moments and also difficult ones, but we were happy. I hope that on their last day they lived moments of happiness."
Investigation and Aftermath
Brazilian aviation investigators from Cenipa and civil police are probing the cause of the tragedy. The aircraft reportedly had valid certification and was authorised for scenic flights. The Colombian government has expressed sorrow and is assisting the family through its consulate.
