The three women had traveled to Brazil together for the first time and were on a trip meant to celebrate the 15th birthday of a younger relative. The family arrived in Rio on Monday and had planned to stay through the following Tuesday, spending the week sightseeing in the city and visiting Búzios in the Lakes Region.
The women booked the helicopter tour after finding it advertised on social media. Other relatives traveling with the group—Victor Manrique, Cubillos' son; his wife, Daniela Castañeda; and the couple's 15-year-old daughter—were also scheduled to take the flight but waited at the hangar.
Relatives told G1 that an employee at the hangar mentioned only that there had been a "forced landing," and no one offered further explanation. The relatives said they ultimately learned the extent of the crash through news websites while still waiting at the hangar.
The helicopter, a Robinson R44 registered as PP-MFS and operated by Voos Rio Panorâmicos e Serviços Aeronáuticos, exploded when it impacted with the hillside, igniting a fire that spread through the surrounding forest. The Rio de Janeiro Fire Department received the call at 11:11 a.m. Saturday, and the helicopter’s wreckage was then located by the department's Air Operations Group.
Lt. Col. Fábio Contreiras, a Fire Department spokesperson, said the crash site's terrain posed a major obstacle for rescue crews. "The greatest difficulty for the teams at the moment is access, both getting into the location and getting out. The aircraft crashed in a very steep forested area, with cliffs, where it is only possible to work using rope techniques and safety equipment," Contreiras told the outlet.
Contreiras added that crews were also contending with the aftermath of the explosion. "When we arrived, in addition to the helicopter, there was also a fire caused by the explosion of the aircraft's fuel. That fire has now been completely extinguished," he said.
Murillo, based in Bogotá, built her online following by sharing beauty tips and reviews of cosmetic products. She had posted as recently as Aug. 5—three days before the crash—sharing a video of her workout routine on TikTok. Following news of her death, followers flooded her accounts with tributes, including one comment reading, "Rest in peace angel,” and another stating, “My beautiful Sofi ... there is a celebration in heaven because you are there. We will miss you so much.”
García’s death follows several recent fatalities involving Latin American social media personalities.
In a separate case, Brazilian content creator Ulissias Marcelli Couto Flores Cardial, 30, who had been selected to host the upcoming Rock Gaya Festival, was found fatally shot with her boyfriend, Vinícius Souza de Carvalho, 28, along a rural road outside Porto Seguro in Brazil’s Bahia state, according to Brazilian outlet G1. Police told G1 they were examining whether the killings were connected to an unpaid drug debt or unauthorized drug sales involving a criminal organization in the region. No arrests had been announced.
Other Brazilian influencers who died in recent weeks included Thaís Moura, 31, who died July 12 after a motorcycle crash in Volta Redonda; Kauana Bilhar, 26, who died July 7 after falling from a residential tower in Dubai; and Anna Clara de Souza Rocha, 27, who died June 21 after her vehicle overturned in Volta Redonda, in Rio de Janeiro state.