HELICOPTER VANISHES WITH COUNTRY STAR RICK SOLLO AND NEYMAR’S BUSINESSMAN FRIEND ON BOARD AS SEARCH TEAMS RACE INTO MOUNTAINS

FOUR PEOPLE ARE MISSING AFTER A BELL 430 LOST CONTACT DURING SEVERE WEATHER IN SOUTHERN BRAZIL

A helicopter carrying Brazilian country music star Rick Sollo and businessman Bruno Avelar, a close associate of football star Neymar, has disappeared during a flight in southern Brazil.

The seven-seat Bell 430 lost contact with air traffic control on Monday afternoon, September 21, as severe weather moved across Santa Catarina state.

Four people are believed to have been on board: 59-year-old singer Rick Sollo, businessman Bruno Avelar, videographer Paulo Soares and an unidentified pilot.

As of the latest reports, the helicopter has not been located and there has been no official confirmation of a crash or deaths.

HELICOPTER DISAPPEARED DURING A STORM

The aircraft reportedly departed Porto Belo and was heading towards São Joaquim when communication was lost.

The region was experiencing difficult weather conditions, including heavy rain, hail and strong winds. Brazil’s National Institute of Meteorology had issued severe-weather warnings for the area.

Search teams initially focused on the mountainous municipality of Urubici, after information from the aircraft and mobile-phone signals helped authorities narrow down possible search areas.

The search area was later expanded by roughly 30 kilometres following the last known cellphone signal from one of the people believed to be aboard.

MASSIVE SEARCH OPERATION UNDERWAY

Firefighters, police and Brazil’s Air Force have been involved in the search.

The Brazilian Air Force said its search-and-rescue coordination centre in Curitiba was activated after the aircraft failed to reach its destination.

Specialist aircraft, including Black Hawk helicopters and an SC-105 Amazonas, were deployed as part of the operation.

Ground crews have also been working in mountainous and heavily forested terrain, with rain and difficult access making the operation more challenging.

At one point, rescuers investigated an area where the helicopter was believed to have potentially gone down, but no aircraft wreckage was found.

Authorities subsequently redirected teams towards another location associated with the final cellphone signal.

RICK SOLLO’S BANDMATE URGES PEOPLE TO PRAY

Rick Sollo, whose real name is Geraldo Antonio de Carvalho, is one half of the popular Brazilian sertanejo duo Rick & Renner.

The pair have enjoyed a long career in Brazilian country music and have reportedly sold more than 10 million records.

After news of the disappearance emerged, Renner appealed to fans to pray for his longtime musical partner.

He described the situation as one of “anguish and uncertainty” and called for hope while rescue teams continued searching.

Rick’s family has also expressed concern as authorities continue their efforts to locate the aircraft.

WHO IS BRUNO AVELAR?

Among those missing is Bruno Avelar, a 41-year-old businessman and father of two.

Avelar is known in Brazil for his business networking work and has appeared alongside Neymar on several occasions.

Local reports have described him as a close associate of the football star, and he has been linked to events connected with the Neymar Jr. Institute, including charity activities.

His disappearance has drawn additional attention because of his connection to the internationally known footballer.

COMPANY WARNS AGAINST UNCONFIRMED REPORTS

The company that owns the helicopter, JTA Empreendimentos e Urbanismo, confirmed that the aircraft had been loaned for use by Bruno Avelar and Rick.

However, the company stressed that there was still no official confirmation that an accident had occurred and urged people not to treat unverified information as fact.

That warning remains important as the search continues, particularly with speculation spreading online.

SEARCH CONTINUES THROUGH DIFFICULT TERRAIN

Brazilian rescue teams have continued working despite challenging conditions.

The operation has involved both aerial and ground searches, with authorities continually adjusting the search area as new information becomes available.

For now, the fate of the four people remains unknown.

Rick Sollo, Bruno Avelar, Paulo Soares and the unidentified pilot have not been confirmed dead, and the helicopter has not yet been found.

The priority for rescuers remains locating the aircraft and determining what happened after it disappeared from contact over Santa Catarina.