Oliver Tree, YouTuber Gaspi Among 6 Killed in Rio Helicopter Collision

Summary:

• American singer Oliver Tree and Argentine YouTuber Gaspar Prim were among six killed in Rio helicopter collision.

• Helicopters collided midair, fell into parking lot, causing fire that destroyed 20 cars.

• Tree, known for his music and online persona, was in Brazil for a world tour supporting his album.

American singer Oliver Tree and Argentine YouTuber Gaspar Prim were among six people killed Sunday when two helicopters collided in midair over Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian authorities said.

The aircraft collided over Recreio dos Bandeirantes, a neighborhood in the city’s western zone, and fell into the parking lot of an electric vehicle dealership, igniting a fire that destroyed roughly 20 cars, the Rio de Janeiro Military Fire Department said. The blaze was extinguished.

One helicopter was carrying five people and the other only a pilot, according to manifests Brazilian authorities shared with reporters. Civil Police said all six aboard the two aircraft died. Officials cautioned that the victims had not been formally identified at the time of initial reports because the bodies were badly burned, though Tree’s name appeared on a passenger list provided to aviation authorities.

Local outlets, including CNN Brazil and O Dia, identified the dead as Tree, whose full name was Oliver Tree Nickell; Prim, known online as Gaspi; passengers Lucas Vignale and Lucas Brito Chaves; and pilots Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac.

Tree, 32, was a singer, director and record producer born in Santa Cruz, California. He rose to prominence on Vine in 2016 and signed with Atlantic Records the following year, later releasing songs including “Life Goes On” and “Miss You.” He was known for his bowl cut, oversized clothing and a comedy-driven online persona. He had more than 11 million monthly listeners on Spotify.

Tree was in Brazil as part of a world tour supporting his album “Love You Madly, Hate You Badly.” He performed in São Paulo on June 6 and had a show scheduled in Lisbon on July 1.

The cause of the collision remains under investigation, authorities said.