A mid-air collision involving two helicopters over the western zone of Rio de Janeiro resulted in six fatalities on Sunday morning. Reportedly, one of the passengers was American celebrity Oliver Tree. Military fire and rescue services in the Brazilian city confirmed that there were no survivors from either aircraft.
One of the helicopters plummeted into a commercial car dealership and struck multiple parked electric vehicles. The impact triggered a fire at the site which local fire crews subsequently brought under control and extinguished.
High-profile passengers
Police have yet to formally identify the deceased but initial flight manifests indicate that high-profile individuals were travelling in the aircraft. The passenger list provided to local aviation authorities included the American musician and internet personality Oliver Tree. The entertainer had recently concluded a show in Buenos Aires on June 4 and shared social media footage of himself playing football on a Brazilian street the day before the crash.
Furthermore the Argentine broadcasting platform Blender announced that the 23-year-old digital creator Gaspar Prim Diaz was travelling in one of the helicopters. Known online as Gaspi the YouTuber had built an audience of over 2.8 mln subscribers. The network posted a public tribute on the X platform acknowledging his creative contributions.
[AHORA] La Policía de Río de Janeiro retiró los cuerpos de la víctimas del choque de helicópteros: la aeronave en la que viajaban "Gaspi", Oliver Tree y Lucas Vignale cayó sobre autos eléctricos, explotó y se prendió fuego.
— ElCanciller.com (@elcancillercom) June 14, 2026
📹@g1 https://t.co/QPwN7ZWKo6 pic.twitter.com/h8ZwKn9sVS
Eyewitness accounts and investigation
A local worker provided an account of the disaster as it unfolded. Tyre technician Fernandes de Freitas reported seeing one of the helicopters engulfed in flames immediately following the airborne impact. He also stated that he witnessed a passenger leaping from the second aircraft moments before it struck the ground.
Brazilian authorities have now secured the wreckage across the western zone. Aviation officials and police have initiated a comprehensive investigation to establish the exact sequence of events that led to the fatal collision.
Oliver Tree’s ex-girlfriend Melanie Martinez and Bebe Rexha shared their condolences on social media.
Melanie Martinez remembers ex-boyfriend Oliver Tree in heartfelt tribute after his passing:
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) June 14, 2026
«Been an absolute wreck today. It's really hard to understand how someone who you once shared such a specific and formative time of your life with can all of a sudden be gone.» pic.twitter.com/Gjqo5dZZbU
I’m in shock. I was in the middle of my cd signing in nyc when I found the news of Oliver tree. I can’t believe it. We recorded a record together to be on dirty blonde. He was so smart . Passionate. Talented. Kind. I’m so sad. May he rest in peace.
— Bebe Rexha (@BebeRexha) June 14, 2026
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