Oliver Tree Helicopter Crash Update: Did a Passenger Jump Out?
The entire tragedy is horrific, of course, but now a particularly chilling detail has emerged in the wake of the Oliver Tree helicopter crash.
Tree, 32, a singer, comedian and Internet influencer, was one of six people who died when the two helicopters collided over the skies of Rio de Janeiro. Among the six deceased was Gaspi, an Argentinian social media influencer and YouTuber with his own large following.
However, now NBC News has unearthed a very disturbing detail. The news outlet reported that a witness claims one of the passengers jumped out of a helicopter in a failed bid to survive. All six died. It's not clear which passenger made that leap. In addition to the two pilots, there were two other people on board the doomed chopper with Gaspi and Tree. They were: Lucas Vignale, who directed videos, and music producer Lucas Brito Chaves.
An Eyewitness Saw a Passenger Jump 'Out of the Aircraft'
According to NBC News, the account of a passenger leaping from a helicopter came from an eyewitness.
Fernandes de Freitas, a tire repair worker, "said he saw one of the helicopters in flames following the midair collision, and noticed that one of the passengers jumped out of the other aircraft, before it hit the ground," NBC News reported.
"It was terrifying, absolutely horrifying," De Freitas said to NBC.
According to USA Today, the bodies "will undergo forensic examination for identification." There were no survivors. "The helicopters collided in mid-air and crashed into the parking lot of an electric car dealership, igniting a fire that consumed at least 20 vehicles," the Military Fire Department said to USA Today.
A Horror Video Showed 1 of the Helicopters 'Spinning Out of Control'
The ending was horrific. Page Six has published a video showing one of the two helicopters "spinning out of control and falling into a car dealership's parking lot." According to Page Six, the craft was then engulfed in flames.
NBC News published a photo of the crash scene that showed many charred vehicles. According to NBC, "one of the helicopters crashed on the parking lot of a car dealership, where several electric vehicles were parked, igniting a fire that was extinguished." The scene was so bad that authorities haven't been able to identify any of the dead officially, NBC News reported, adding that the cause of the crash is under investigation. One of the helicopters was also photographed lying upside down on the ground.
Meanwhile, a podcast emerged showing Tree speaking about death and his will not long before before his death, and some fans noticed that, in his music video for the song Flowers, he is seen standing between two helicopters in a pilot's uniform and sings about a tombstone and death. Tree did not have a known girlfriend or wife at the time of his death. His net worth for 2026 was estimated in the millions of dollars due to the empire he was building on social media, podcasts, and in the music world.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
2026 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 10:29 AM.