Singer Oliver Tree, YouTuber Gaspar Prim Among Six Killed in Brazil Helicopter Crash

American pop singer Oliver Tree and Argentinian YouTuber Gaspar Prim were killed Sunday in a mid-air collision involving two helicopters over Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. A police source confirmed their names were on the flight manifests for one of the aircraft, which crashed in the Recreio dos Bandeirantes neighborhood. At least six people died in the incident.

The helicopters collided in the morning sky before plummeting into the parking lot of an electric car dealership. The resulting fire engulfed at least 20 vehicles. One helicopter carried five passengers, while the other had only the pilot. There were no survivors from either aircraft. The victims' bodies were severely burned, complicating formal identification.

Oliver Tree, 32, was known for his distinctive helmet-like hairstyle and eccentric persona. He achieved fame with hits like "Life Goes On," "Miss You," and "Alien Boy," garnering over 11 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Tree had recently been in Brazil for a tour, performing in Sao Paulo on June 6, with a concert in Lisbon scheduled for July 1.

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I was working and heard a very strong explosion. The place even shook. There was one helicopter coming from one side and another from the other. They met, collided, and parts of the helicopters flew in all directions.

Gaspar Prim, 23, known online as "Gaspi," was a popular YouTuber with 2.84 million subscribers. His content often featured humor, parodies, and street interviews. He had recently expanded his presence to streaming platforms and was working on new entertainment projects and documentaries in Rio de Janeiro. Prim had also participated in "La Velada del Año," a major event organized by Spanish streamer Ibai Llanos, increasing his international visibility.

Witnesses described hearing a "very strong explosion" that shook the ground. A Burger King employee recounted seeing one helicopter approach from one direction and another from the opposite, leading to the collision. Fire department spokesperson Lt. Col. Fabio Contreiras stated that the exact cause was still under investigation, with debris scattered over a wide area. "We need to obtain recordings and videos to understand exactly what happened," he said.

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Parts of the aircraft are scattered hundreds of meters away, so the information we have is still very preliminary. We need to obtain the recordings and the videos to understand exactly what happened.