Sofia Murillo, 17-year-old influencer, dies in Brazil helicopter crash with mother, grandmother
Colombian beauty content creator and her family killed in fiery crash near Rio de Janeiro while relatives waited for second flight.
Conversation activity · last 33 hours peak 7/30m
Summary, timeline and people extracted by Claude from 9 items across 3 sources · 46m ago. Quotes are verbatim.
Sofia Murillo, a 17-year-old Colombian influencer with over 250,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok, died on August 8 when a sightseeing helicopter crashed in a wooded area near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Her mother Wendy Manrique, 37, grandmother Rocio Cubillos, 59, and pilot Alessandro Rocha also died in the crash. The family had booked the flight to see Christ the Redeemer statue; other family members waiting for a second flight learned of the crash through news reports.
- Sofia Murillo, 17, a Colombian beauty influencer with 250,000+ followers, died in a helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro on August 8 along with her mother, grandmother, and pilot.
- The family had split into two groups due to aircraft capacity; Sofia's mother, grandmother, and the pilot took the first flight while other family members waited at the hangar and learned of the crash through news reports.
- The helicopter crashed in a remote, wooded area near Vista Chinesa, caught fire, and burned; the terrain made rescue and body recovery difficult.
- The helicopter tour company claims maintenance, permits, and pilot licensing were all current; Brazilian authorities have opened formal investigations into the cause.
How it unfolded
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Brazil's Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center (Cenipa), Rio de Janeiro's Civil Police, and the Brazilian Air Force begin investigations into the crash.
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TMZ, Yahoo, People, and Us Weekly publish coverage of the crash. Reports note Sofia had 250,000+ followers and shared beauty advice and cosmetic reviews. Her last social media post was August 5, three days before the crash.
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Followers comment on Sofia's last video, a gym routine posted August 5, with messages of grief and appreciation for her beauty tips.
“I'm going to miss your tips, Sofi. You were one of the few who managed to boost my self-esteem with your advice. I'm going to miss you so much.”
TikTok commenter · Google News ↗ -
A lawyer for Voo Rio Panorâmico states the company has not yet determined a cause. The statement claims the helicopter's maintenance was up to date, the business had required permits, and pilot Alessandro Rocha was properly licensed.
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The helicopter crashes into a steep, wooded area near Vista Chinesa and bursts into flames. Fire spreads across the hillside, complicating rescue access. All four occupants—Sofia, her mother, grandmother, and pilot Alessandro Rocha—are killed.
“The biggest challenge for the teams right now is access, both to enter and exit the site. The aircraft crashed in a very steep, wooded area with precipitous cliffs.”
Lieutenant Colonel Fábio Contreiras · Google News ↗ -
Sofia's uncle Victor Manrique, his wife, and their 15-year-old daughter learn about the fatal crash through news reports while still waiting at the hangar for their scheduled second flight.
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Sofia, her mother Wendy Manrique, and grandmother Rocio Cubillos board a four-seat sightseeing helicopter with local tour agency Voo Rio Panorâmico near Vista Chinesa to view Christ the Redeemer. Other family members wait at hangar for second flight.
What people are saying verbatim
“Sofia Murillo boarded the sightseeing helicopter in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday with her mother, Wendy Manrique, and grandmother, Rocio Cubillos. Pilot Alessandro Rocha was also aboard -- all were killed.”
TMZ · TMZ ↗ · Aug 9
“Sofia had more than 250,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok, where she shared beauty advice and cosmetic reviews.”
TMZ · TMZ ↗ · Aug 9
“The biggest challenge for the teams right now is access, both to enter and exit the site. The aircraft crashed in a very steep, wooded area with precipitous cliffs, where it is only possible to work using rope techniques and safety equipment.”
Lieutenant Colonel Fábio Contreiras · Us Weekly (citing g1) ↗ · Aug 9
“I'm going to miss your tips, Sofi. You were one of the few who managed to boost my self-esteem with your advice. I'm going to miss you so much.”
TikTok commenter · TikTok (reported by Yahoo) ↗ · Aug 9
“My beautiful Sofi. There's a party in heaven because you're there. We'll miss you so much.”
Social media commenter · Yahoo (on Sofia's final post) ↗ · Aug 9