Helicopter with singer Rick Sollo and businessman linked to Neymar disappears in Brazil
A Bell 430 helicopter carrying singer Rick Sollo, entrepreneur Bruno Avelar, videographer Paulo Soares and a pilot vanished over Santa Catarina, prompting a multi-agency rescue effort.
On the afternoon of September 21, a seven-seat Bell 430 helicopter departed Porto Belo in Santa Catarina bound for San Joaquim when a storm caused it to lose radio contact. The missing flight carried four occupants: 59-year-old singer-songwriter Rick Sollo of the country duo Rick & Renner, entrepreneur Bruno Avelar, who works with sports and entertainment figures and is linked to Neymar, videographer Paulo Soares, and an unnamed pilot.
Search and rescue teams comprising police, firefighters and the Brazilian Air Force have focused efforts on the mountain municipality of Urubici, using the last known location of a crew member’s mobile phone. Relatives, including Sollo’s cousin Manoel Filho Martins, have asked the public to pray for the crew. The helicopter’s owner, JTA Emprendimientos e Urbanismo, said no accident has been confirmed and urged caution about unverified reports.
Why it matters
The disappearance involves high-profile figures and has mobilized national rescue resources, drawing widespread public attention.
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