Passenger Jumped from Helicopter Moments Before Crash That Killed Popular Musician

A witness has described the horrifying moment a passenger appeared to jump from a helicopter moments before it crashed to the ground in a deadly midair collision that killed singer and internet star Oliver Tree.

Tree, 32, was one of six people killed Sunday morning when two helicopters collided above Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during what had been a joyful break from his world tour.

The crash also killed Argentinian YouTuber Gaspar Prim, 23, known online as Gaspi, Argentine director and screenwriter Lucas Vignale, 29, Brazilian music producer Lucas Brito Chaves, 21, and pilots Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac.

One witness said the scene was terrifying, with one helicopter bursting into flames after the collision. Moments later, a passenger was seen throwing himself from the other aircraft before both helicopters slammed into the ground. He did not survive.

“It was terrifying, absolutely horrifying,” tire worker Fernandes de Freitas said.

Photos from the aftermath showed twisted wreckage scattered across the area near an electric car dealership, with aircraft parts and vehicles on the ground engulfed in flames.

Officials are now searching through the wreckage as they work to determine what caused the two helicopters to collide in midair.

The tragedy came just days after Tree was seen happily exploring Brazil in a series of bittersweet videos shared online.

The American performer had been playing soccer, cooking steaks, riding a motorbike through Rio and singing with local influencers in clips captioned “American for the 1st time in Brazil” and “Gringo 24 horas no Brasil.”

In another video, Tree compared dance moves with Brazilian content creator Akihito in a moment he called “absolute cinema.” He was also seen singing and dancing with Brazilian creator Lucas Vinícius.

“Brazilian rock is a million times better than American rock,” Tree captioned one post.

After news of the crash broke, fans and fellow creators flooded social media with tributes to the late performer.

British YouTube star KSI said he felt “genuinely sick” after learning of Tree’s death.

“Can’t believe I’m actually having to type this,” KSI wrote. “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.”

Tree had built a huge online following with his eccentric style, viral videos and music career. He had 2.6 million Instagram followers and had recently launched a 30-country world tour.

He was scheduled to perform in Europe in July before continuing on to the U.S., Australia and China.

Just months before his death, Tree spoke about his estate plans in an interview, saying he wanted his money to go toward a foundation supporting young artists after he died.

For fans, the chilling crash details have made his final videos from Brazil even more heartbreaking, showing the performer full of life only days before the tragedy.