Helicopter crash in Rio kills beauty influencer, family

A sightseeing helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on August 8, 2026, killed Colombian beauty influencer Sofia Murillo, 17, her mother, Wendy Manrique, 37, and her grandmother, Rocio Cubillos, 59, along with the pilot, Alessandro Rocha. The aircraft went down in a wooded area near the Vista Chinesa scenic overlook shortly after takeoff, bursting into flames with no survivors.

Murillo, known online as Sofi Chic, had built a following of more than 250,000 across TikTok and Instagram with beauty tips and makeup tutorials. The family was on vacation in Brazil to celebrate a relative's 15th birthday and had booked a 20-minute helicopter tour to see landmarks like Christ the Redeemer from the air. Because the helicopter could only carry three passengers, the group of six relatives split into two flights. Murillo, her mother, and her grandmother boarded the first flight, which departed around 11:00 a.m. local time. Her uncle, Victor Manrique, his wife, and their 15-year-old daughter remained at the hangar waiting for a second aircraft.

Emergency crews were called shortly after 11:10 a.m. but faced significant challenges reaching the remote, steep crash site. Lieutenant Colonel...