Oliver Tree and five others die in Rio helicopter crash
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Oliver Tree and five others die in Rio helicopter crash
Six killed as two helicopters collide over Rio de Janeiro
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Six people, including American pop star Oliver Tree, died on Sunday when two helicopters collided over Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian authorities confirmed on Monday. The crash occurred shortly after midday local time near the city’s Sugarloaf Mountain, sending both aircraft plunging into the Guanabara Bay. Among the dead were Tree, 32, the YouTube personality Gaspari, and four Brazilian nationals whose identities have not been released. Rescue teams recovered all bodies by nightfall, but investigators warned that the wreckage remains unstable and further recovery efforts may be delayed.
Brazil’s civil aviation authority opened an immediate inquiry into the collision, which eyewitnesses described as a mid-air impact followed by a fireball. Video footage circulating on social media shows one helicopter banking sharply before the other strikes its tail boom, causing both to spiral downward. The aircraft were operating in the same air corridor used by sightseeing tours, a popular route that skirts the iconic Sugarloaf cable car station. Brazilian officials have impounded flight logs and are interviewing air traffic controllers at Santos Dumont Airport, where both choppers had filed similar flight plans for scenic tours.
Oliver Tree, born Oliver Tree Nickell, rose to fame with his 2022 single “Life Goes On,” a quirky anthem that blended pop-punk hooks with absurdist visuals. Known for his bowl-cut hair, roller-skate entrances, and deadpan stage persona, he cultivated a cult following that spanned alternative music and internet meme culture. Just weeks before his death, Tree had discussed his estate plans in a social media post, joking that his “$4 million fortune” would fund “a very weird retirement.” His management company confirmed his passing in a statement released Sunday evening, calling the accident “a tragic loss for music and for his fans worldwide.”
The accident follows a weekend of multiple high-risk incidents across three continents. In Utah, BASE jumper Andy Lewis, who had performed with Madonna at the 2023 Coachella festival, died when his parachute failed to deploy during a jump from a canyon wall. In São Paulo state, 21-year-old Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas was killed when instructors launched her from a 40-metre bridge without a harness, a stunt she had requested moments earlier. Brazilian police have opened a manslaughter investigation into the rope-jump operators.
As grief spread online, Estonian rapper Tommy Cash posted a tribute on social media, thanking Tree for “all the stupid jokes.” Condolence messages also poured in from artists including Post Malone and Charli XCX, who praised Tree’s genre-defying creativity. Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva expressed solidarity with the victims’ families, calling the crash “a dark day for Rio’s tourism and for art.” Investigators expect to release preliminary findings within 72 hours, though they cautioned that definitive conclusions may take weeks.
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PISARAD VOOLAVAD ⟩ Tommy Cash mälestab Oliver Treed: aitäh nende rumalate naljade eest! Pühapäeval hukkus rängas kopteriõnnetuses 32-aastane USA muusik Oliver Tree. Brasiilias Rio de Janeiros aset leidnud juhtub šokeeris kogu maailma. Noore muusikuga sai hästi läbi Tommy Cash, kes mälestab teda sotsiaalmeedias ilusate sõnadega. «Aitäh, et olid sina ise!»
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