17-year-old influencer dies in helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro
Sofia Murillo, a 17-year-old Colombian influencer with more than 250,000 followers, died in a helicopter crash during a family vacation in Rio de Janeiro. Along with her, her 37-year-old mother, 59-year-old grandmother, and the pilot were killed. The four had set out on a tourist flight of about 20 minutes over the city's famous sites.
A family vacation in Brazil ended in tragedy for a Colombian family after a tourist helicopter crashed in the Vista Chinesa area of Rio de Janeiro. Among the victims was 17-year-old Sofia Murillo, who became famous online under the name Sofi Chic and amassed a large audience thanks to videos about makeup, grooming, and beauty.
Murillo was in the helicopter along with her mother, 37-year-old Wendy Manrique, and her grandmother, 59-year-old Rocio Cubios. The pilot, Alessandro Rocha, also died in the disaster. The family had arrived in Rio to celebrate the 15th birthday of a relative, who was also in the city but did not board the helicopter.
The three women booked a flight that was supposed to last about 20 minutes and pass over some of Rio's famous sites, including the Tijuca Forest. It was a flight where the helicopter flew without doors (Doors Off) to allow passengers unobstructed viewing and filming. The family paid 2,550 Brazilian reais (about 500 US dollars) for the flight.
The helicopter, a Robinson R44 model, crashed on the morning of August 8 in a wooded and steep area near Vista Chinesa. Fire crews received the call at 11:11 and found the aircraft engulfed in flames. About 40 firefighters, 11 vehicles, and several rescue units participated in the operation. Due to the fire and the condition of the bodies, authorities began a forensic identification process.
Brazil's Center for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (CENIPA) collected evidence from the crash site and opened an investigation into the cause of the accident. At this stage, no conclusion has been published regarding what led to the crash.
Murillo was one of the most prominent young content creators in the beauty field in Colombia. She had more than 209,000 followers on TikTok and almost 50,000 on Instagram. She posted makeup tutorials, hairstyles, grooming recommendations, and documentation of her life. Her last post on TikTok was uploaded on August 5, just three days before her death, and showed her workout routine.
