Oliver Tree among dead in deadly helicopter crash in Rio, Brazil

Two helicopters crashed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sunday, and American singer Oliver Tree, 32, was among the dead, local authorities confirmed.

According to local media, six people were killed, with Argentine YouTuber Gaspar Prim Díaz, 23, most known by his alias Gaspi, also among the dead.

The incident happened in the neighborhood of Recreio dos Bandeirantes, in the western area of the city, at 9 a.m. local time (12:00 GMT), when the helicopters crashed mid-flight.

One of the helicopters crashed inside a parking lot of a commercial district, destroying some 20 cars parked in the site, according to Rio’s rescue services.

The crash also produced several fragments that flew towards buildings in the area, with authorities reporting only material damage to windows and no more people wounded on the ground.

Tree, most known for his hit songs “Life Goes On” and “Miss You,” was in Brazil headlining a world tour for his fourth studio album.

He rose to fame in 2018 with his EP “Alien Boy,” with the song’s music video reaching 50 million views.

In 2020, his songs went viral when used in TikTok videos around the world, with “Life Goes On” featured in 3.7 million videos since its release and “Miss You” used 1.5 million times.

On the other hand, Gaspi was an Argentine influencer with almost 3 million YouTube subscribers, known for creating viral videos centered on street interviews.

According to Brazilian authorities, Argentine video producer Lucas Vignale was also among the dead.