Brazilian police and emergency officials identified singer Oliver Tree and 23-year-old YouTuber Gaspar Prim among six people killed in a helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro, as authorities continue to investigate the mid-air collision.
By the time investigators finished identifying the victims, the final name on the list was the one fans had feared. In Rio de Janeiro, the state’s Military Fire Department confirmed that six people died in a helicopter crash, and Brazilian police identified musician Oliver Tree as one of them.
The sequence was confirmed through a police spokesperson for the state of Rio de Janeiro, who said all victims have been identified. In a statement written in Portuguese, the department said the last body identified was that of the American Oliver Tree.
Brazilian authorities also named other victims: Lucas Brito, Charles Marsillac, and Alexandre Souza. Argentinians Gaspar Prim and Lucas Vignale were also identified.
Gaspar Prim, a 23-year-old YouTuber known online as Gaspi, was among those killed in the crash. The investigation into what caused the accident is still ongoing in the Recreio dos Bandeirantes neighborhood, where the incident happened. The Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center is expected to issue a report.
Oliver Tree, 32, was California-born, with his real name listed as Oliver Tree Nickell. He was presumed dead because he was on the list of passengers aboard one of two helicopters that went down after a mid-air collision in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, June 14.
Preliminary reports previously shared by the Military Fire Department described a collision in mid-air followed by the helicopters crashing into the parking lot of an electric car dealership. The fire that followed consumed at least 20 vehicles. After 50 military firefighters and 15 vehicles responded, the progress of the fire was halted.
The crash brought an abrupt end to a busy stretch of public appearances. Tree had performed in São Paulo on June 6, part of his Love You Madly, Hate You Badly World’s First World Tour. His next scheduled stop was Lisbon on July 1, according to his website.
Two months earlier, he had made a surprise appearance during Weekend 1 of Coachella, joining Subtronics for a performance on the Sahara Stage.
While the tragedy unfolded in Brazil, his career trajectory had already been marked by rapid visibility. Tree hailed from Santa Cruz and rose to fame with “Life Goes On” in 2021. The track drew a fanbase on TikTok and helped mark his debut on the Billboard Top 100 chart.
Among his other popular songs was “Miss You,” off his 2023 album “Alone in a Crowd,” which peaked at 84 on the Top 100.
His Spotify bio described him as “an internet-based vocalist, producer, writer, director and performance artist,” adding that his work explored “the intersection where pop and alternative meet sonically.”
As investigators continue working through the cause of the crash. the facts so far circle tightly around a single moment: two helicopters collided mid-air on June 14 and. after crashing into the electric car dealership’s parking lot. sparked a fire that authorities had to contain with dozens of firefighters and vehicles. From there. the focus has moved to identification—now complete—and to what the official report will ultimately say about how the collision happened.
Oliver Tree Gaspar Prim Gaspi helicopter crash Rio de Janeiro Military Fire Department Recreio dos Bandeirantes Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center Subtronics Coachella Love You Madly Hate You Badly World Tour
That’s so wild. Mid-air collision is just… wow.
I thought Oliver Tree was like, fine? Like this dude lives online, so how is it real. Also why were helicopters allowed to fly around each other over a dealership??
Wait is this the same Oliver Tree as the rapper guy? I saw a clip once and assumed he was Canadian or something. If it says California-born, okay, but I feel like the news is mixing names or idk. Sad either way.
So they crashed into a parking lot of an electric car dealership and then a fire ate like 20 vehicles, that’s insane. I don’t get how two helicopters collide in the first place like they weren’t coordinating. They keep saying investigation is ongoing but it sounds like it already started with a failure to see each other. Poor Gaspar Prim too, I watched his stuff like a year ago, couldn’t believe it when I saw his name.