Popular Colombian social media influencer Sofia Murillo, 17, has died alongside her mother and grandmother in a helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Murillo, who was based in Bogotá and had more than 250,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok, was travelling with her mother, Wendy Manrique, 37, and grandmother, Rocio Cubillos, 59, when the aircraft crashed into a wooded area near Vista Chinesa on 8 August. The helicopter’s pilot, Alessandro Rocha, also died.
The family had been on holiday in Brazil and had booked a 20-minute scenic flight to view the Christ the Redeemer statue from the air, according to Brazilian media. Murillo, Manrique and Cubillos boarded the first flight at about 11:00, while other members of their family remained at the airport waiting for a second flight. Relatives said they learned about the crash through news reports while they were still at the airport.
Emergency services were called to the crash site at about 11:11 local time, but access to the wooded area was difficult. The crash sparked a fire on the hillside, which was later brought under control by military personnel trained in fighting wildfires. A lawyer representing Voo Rio Panorâmico, the helicopter tour company, said the cause of the crash had not yet been established and that the aircraft had the required permits, was properly maintained and had been flown by a licensed pilot.
Brazil’s Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center and Rio de Janeiro’s Civil Police are investigating the crash. Murillo was known online for sharing beauty advice and reviewing cosmetic products with her followers. Her final social media post appeared to have been published on 5 August, three days before the crash, when she shared a video of her gym routine. Tributes have since been posted across her social media accounts following news of her death.
