A devastating mid-air collision between two helicopters over Rio de Janeiro, Brazil has claimed the lives of six people, including 32-year-old American alternative pop artist and internet personality Oliver Tree, who was in the middle of a global tour.
The crash, which unfolded on Sunday, sent one of the stricken aircraft crashing into a car dealership’s parking lot, igniting an intense blaze that destroyed roughly 20 parked vehicles. Local Brazilian media has shared publicly obtained footage of the disaster capturing one helicopter plummeting from the sky, followed by towering plumes of black smoke and intense flames consuming the impact zone.
Emergency response teams from the Military Fire Department of the State of Rio de Janeiro confirmed they were dispatched to the crash site at approximately 9:00 a.m. local time, which translates to 12:00 p.m. GMT. Official passenger and crew manifests have identified all fatal casualties: alongside Tree on the first helicopter were Argentine popular content creator Gaspar Prim Diaz, widely known by his online alias Gaspi, passengers Lucas Brito Chaves and Lucas Vignale, as well as pilot Alexandre Souza. The second helicopter carried only its pilot, Charles Marsillac, who also died in the collision.
Born Oliver Tree Nickell in Santa Cruz, California in 1993, the artist first catapulted to mainstream fame in 2016 when his work went viral across major social media platforms. Recognizable by his signature iconic bowl haircut, Tree built a global fanbase through chart-topping hits including *Life Goes On*, *Miss You*, and *Alien Boy*. He kicked off his latest world tour just weeks before the crash, delivering his most recent live performance to a crowd in São Paulo, Brazil on June 6. Upcoming scheduled stops on the tour included a July 1 show in Lisbon, Portugal, and September performances in three UK cities: Glasgow, Manchester, and London.
Tributes have poured in from across the global entertainment industry from fellow creators and collaborators shocked by his sudden passing. British rapper, content creator, and *Britain’s Got Talent* judge KSI, who collaborated with Tree on the 2023 track *Voices*, shared an emotional tribute on his X (formerly Twitter) account. “Can’t believe I’m actually having to type this. You’re 32 man. You should still be here. You still had so much life to live. So much music to make. So much content to make,” KSI wrote. “You’re a legend and will always be a legend. Still doesn’t feel real. Genuinely feel sick. I love you bro.”
Stunt performer and *Jackass* star Steve-O, whose legal name is Stephen Glover, also shared a heartfelt tribute alongside a candid photo of the two friends together online. “I was incredibly lucky to become friends with Oliver Tree,” he wrote. “He would check in on me regularly, and let me know he cared about how I was doing. Such a great person… I’m going to miss him.”
Beyond his music career, Tree earned notable industry recognition and a place in Guinness World Records. In 2024, his hit collaboration *Miss You* with German producer Robin Schulz earned a nomination for a prestigious Brit Award. In 2020, he broke the Guinness World Record for constructing the world’s largest functional kick scooter, measuring 3.13 meters long and 0.16 meters tall.
Brazilian authorities have launched a formal investigation to determine the root cause of the mid-air collision, with updates expected as forensic work and witness interviews progress.