The mountains of southern Brazil woke under a gray lid on Tuesday (22), rain and fog holding over Urubici, in the highlands of Santa Catarina, when the crew of the Arcanjo 03 firefighting aircraft spotted, in late morning, what two days of searching had been trying to find. The Fire Department of Santa Catarina then confirmed the worst outcome: the wreckage of the helicopter carrying singer Rick, of the duo Rick e Renner, had been located in the forest, and five people died. There were no survivors.
The aircraft, a Bell 430 registered PP-MGR, took off on Monday afternoon (21) from Porto Belo, on the northern coast of Santa Catarina, bound for São Joaquim in the highlands, and lost contact near Urubici, already close to its destination. According to G1, those on board were the singer, the businessman and speaker Bruno Avelar, an advisor to presidential candidate Augusto Cury, videographer Paulo Soares and the pilot. Firefighters, however, counted five deaths, and said the victims would be taken to the forensic police for identification and examination. BBC News Brasil reported that a statement posted on Avelar's social media profile on Monday had already mentioned five people aboard. Renner, Rick's partner in the duo for more than four decades, was not traveling with the group.
Two days of searching in dense forest
The operation mobilized about 40 firefighters, two search and rescue dogs, more than ten vehicles and drones with thermal cameras, with support from the Brazilian Air Force, which deployed two Black Hawk (H-60) aircraft and an SC-105 Amazonas. According to Folha de S.Paulo, teams worked through the night and early morning in rain and poor visibility, focused on two points about 30 kilometers apart: the Vacas Gordas area of Urubici, where the helicopter last made contact, and Morro Agudo, identified by cross-referencing the occupants' cellphone signals. The wreckage was found around midday on Tuesday. InfoMoney reported that Brazil's national weather institute, Inmet, had forecast severe storms in the region on Monday.
The voice of "Ela é Demais"
Rick Sollo was 59. Born in Porto Nacional, in the state of Tocantins, he moved to Brasilia as a child and there met Renner, with whom he formed the duo in 1983, according to the BBC. It was in the 1990s that Brazil learned by heart the chorus of "Ela é Demais", from the album "Mil Vezes Cantarei" (1998), and of "Nos Bares da Cidade", hits that helped renew sertanejo, the country music style that dominates Brazilian charts, with playful and sensual lyrics. The duo announced its end in 2010 and went through successive splits and reunions; their last show together was on Saturday (19) in Sorriso, in Mato Grosso state. On Monday night, Renner posted a call for prayers:
"In this moment of anguish and uncertainty, we come together in positive thoughts and prayers for the search for the helicopter carrying Rick. May the search teams have strength and wisdom, and may good news come as soon as possible. Let us keep faith and hope," he wrote.
Rick is survived by his wife, Geralda Carvalho, honored in the song "Perfeição" and his companion for 30 years, as well as six children and two grandchildren, according to Folha. The helicopter belonged to JTA Empreendimentos e Urbanismo, which said it lamented "the tragic air accident" and expressed solidarity with the families. According to Brazil's civil aviation agency Anac, the aircraft, built in 2001, was registered for private use and authorized for night flights. The singer's death moved the music world: G1 recorded tributes from artists such as Ana Castela and Belutti, and Lívia Avelar, the businessman's wife, wrote during the search: "We will move heaven and earth until we find you!".
In the highlands, fog stayed low over the forest into the late afternoon, where the Bell 430 lay. What remains of the aircraft rests in the mountains of Urubici, the same terrain of peaks, plains and dense woods that for two days hid the path to it from the rescue teams.