World2 min(s) read
Published 09:28 11 Aug 2026 GMT
A 17-year-old Colombian beauty influencer has died alongside her mother and grandmother after a sightseeing helicopter crashed in Brazil.
Sofia Murillo was flying over Rio de Janeiro on August 8 with her mother, Wendy Manrique, 37, and grandmother, Rocio Cubillos, 59, when the helicopter came down in a wooded area close to the Vista Chinesa viewpoint.
The aircraft's pilot, Alessandro Rocha, was also killed in the crash.
Murillo had built a substantial following online, with more than 250,000 followers across TikTok and Instagram. She regularly posted makeup tutorials, beauty advice, personal care content and reviews of cosmetic products.
According to People, the family had arranged a 20-minute sightseeing flight to take in some of Rio's most famous landmarks, including the Christ the Redeemer statue.
The helicopter was only large enough to accommodate three passengers, meaning the six family members had to divide themselves into two groups.
Murillo, her mother and grandmother boarded the first flight at around 11.00am, while her uncle Victor Manrique, his wife and their 15-year-old daughter remained behind at the hangar.
The relatives were reportedly still waiting for their turn when they discovered through news reports that the first helicopter had crashed.
The family had travelled to Brazil to celebrate the 15-year-old girl's birthday.
Emergency services were called shortly after 11am, but the helicopter had crashed in difficult mountainous terrain, making access to the site challenging.
The impact also triggered a fire, which spread through part of the surrounding woodland before firefighters managed to bring it under control.
Authorities have yet to establish what caused the helicopter to crash.
A lawyer representing tour operator Voo Rio Panorâmico said the company held the necessary permits, the helicopter was up to date with its maintenance and Rocha was fully licensed to operate the aircraft.
Murillo's final TikTok post was uploaded just three days before her death and showed her working out at the gym.
Her followers have since filled her social media accounts with messages of grief following the tragedy.
One fan wrote: “You left too soon, Sofi.”
The teenager's death comes less than two months after another fatal helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro involving singer Oliver Tree and YouTuber Gaspi.
Tree's producer Victor WAO later said he had narrowly avoided boarding the helicopter after a friend arranged for him to make the journey by car instead.
The latest crash adds to a string of recent aviation tragedies. In another incident in Argentina, a student pilot reportedly managed to land a plane safely after her instructor allegedly jumped from the aircraft while it was in flight.
