Brazil helicopter vanishes with singer Rick Sollo and Neymar’s close friend on board
A helicopter has vanished in Brazil with four people on board including a popular singer and businessman.
The seven-seater Bell 430 lost contact with air traffic control on Monday afternoon during a horror storm in the southern state of Santa Catarina.
Officials confirmed 59-year-old Rick Sollo, a famous singer-songwriter and producer was on board.
The other two passengers have been named as entrepreneur Bruno Avelar – a close friend of former Barcelona star Neymar – and video maker Paulo Soares.
The fourth person on board, the pilot, has not been named.
Police, firefighters and the Brazilian Air Force have been deployed in a desperate search for the chopper.
Operations are said to be focusing on the mountain municipality of Urubici after tracking the last-known location on crew members’ phones.
The helicopter had left Porto Belo and was heading 175 miles south-west to San Joaquim when it disappeared.
Hail, heavy rain and strong winds battered the region – sparking flight alerts at around 4pm.
Rick, whose birth name is Geraldo Antonio de Carvalho, is known as the first voice of country musical duo Rick & Renner.
The pair have sold more than 10 million records during their career, performing an average of 150 concerts a year.
Renner, born Ivair dos Reis Gonçalves, asked his fans to pray for his friend in a social media post on Monday night.
He said: “In this moment of anguish and uncertainty, we join together in positive thoughts and prayers for the search for the helicopter that was carrying Rick.
“May the search teams have strength and wisdom, and may good news arrive as soon as possible.
“Let us keep our faith and hope. May God protect Rick and everyone involved. We ask everyone to join us in prayer at this time.”
Rick’s cousin Manoel Filho Martins admitted: “Everyone is worried.”
Helicopter owner JTA Emprendimientos e Urbanismo confirmed in a statement that its aircraft was missing.
It said: “JTA reports that its helicopter, loaned for use by Bruno Avelar and the singer Rick, close friends of the company’s owner, is currently missing.
“There is still no confirmation of an accident involving the aircraft. The information is being verified with the relevant authorities.
“JTA emphasizes that, at this time, any information that has not been officially confirmed should be treated as unverified.
Avelar, a 41-year-old businessman is regarded as a networking specialist in his native Brazil.
The dad-of-two is understood to have worked in the UK as well as Portugal and Spain and lived in the States with his family.
He serves as the official host of the Neymar Jr. Institute’s charity auctions according to local media and has a close relationship with the footballer.
Technology & Business Editor
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