Rescuers find singer Rick’s helicopter wreckage with five bodies

Firefighters confirmed on September 22, 2026, the discovery of the helicopter that was carrying singer Rick, half of the duo with Renner, along with three other people in the mountains of Santa Catarina. Five bodies were recovered at the crash site, according to the fire department.

The aircraft had vanished on the afternoon of September 21, 2026, with Rick on board. Also traveling in the helicopter were businessman Bruno Avelar, videographer Paulo Soares and the pilot. Authorities have not yet released the identity of the fifth body found at the scene.

Flight path linking Porto Belo to São Joaquim ended in silence

The helicopter took off from Porto Belo, on the northern coast of Santa Catarina, in the morning, bound for São Joaquim, in the state’s mountain region. It never reached its destination. Brazil’s National Institute of Meteorology had forecast severe storms for the area on the day the aircraft went missing.

Thick fog slowed rescue crews searching the highlands

Footage recorded during the morning search operation showed dense fog blanketing the stretch of mountains where teams were looking for the helicopter. That reduced visibility compounded the storm risk meteorologists had already flagged for the flight.

Bell 430 model held valid Anac certification through 2027

The aircraft is a Bell 430, manufactured in 2001, with capacity for one pilot and seven passengers. According to Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency, known as Anac, the helicopter’s paperwork was in order, with an operating certificate valid until August 11, 2027.

Owner company confirms aircraft was lent to close friends

The helicopter, registered under the tail number PP-MGR, belongs to JTA Empreendimento e Urbanismo. The company confirmed in a statement that the aircraft was being used by Bruno Avelar and singer Rick at the time of the crash.

“JTA reports that its helicopter, lent for use by Bruno Avelar and singer Rick, close friends of the company’s owner, is currently missing,” the firm said in its statement.

Bruno Avelar and Rick had recently been seen together at an airport before boarding the flight that ended in tragedy. The singer’s press team had said, while the search was still underway, that the helicopter lost radio contact shortly after takeoff.