:quality(75)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/elcomercio/6SGJVAAH5ZGJPE2GBAPSCJQW3I.jpg "Sebastián Piñera: who are the survivors of the helicopter accident in which the former president died | Chile | ANSWERS")
Sebastián Piñera died while piloting his helicopter, at the age of 74, on Tuesday, February 6, in the commune of Lago Ranco, in the Los Ríos region, where rains had been reported on the fateful day. The former president of Chile was traveling with three people, who managed to survive the incident reported at 3:00 p.m. International political figures mourned the death of the former president.
The politician, who wore the presidential sash in two terms, was not traveling with his nuclear family, as was initially thought. Before the tragedy, he had visited the house of his friend, businessman José Cox.
After lunch, Piñera piloted his helicopter, but a few minutes after taking flight, he fell near the shore and then sank forty meters into the water. According to reports of the incident, the former head of state could not remove his seat belt and drowned in Lago Ranco.
“I want to express my condolences, which I personally conveyed to his daughters, to his family, to all those close to him and to those who were part of his two governments,” said the president of Chile, Gabriel Boric, about Piñera, and declared three days of national mourning for the departure of the former president.
The remains of the former president of Chile, Sebastián Piñera, are carried in a funeral procession, after the tragedy in his helicopter (Photo: AFP)
WHO ARE THE SURVIVORS OF THE SEBASTIÁN PIÑERA HELICOPTER ACCIDENT?
On the day of the tragedy, his sister Magdalena Piñera, the businessman and politician Ignacio Guerrero and the latter’s son were also traveling on Sebastián Piñera’s helicopter. The four suffered the fall of the aircraft, but only the three managed to escape the incident alive.
The survivors were helped by rescue teams who reached the Lago Ranco commune and then were at José Cox’s house, where moments before they had had lunch with the former president of Chile.
None of the survivors publicly expressed what happened at that time. But they did tell the facts to the authorities who arrived in Illihue. Subsequently, they were taken to an assistance center to verify their health status.
Only Magdalena Piñera had a bruise on her shoulder as a result of the helicopter accident, while the others did not register any serious illness after being examined by doctors.
Followers of Sebastián Piñera say goodbye to the former president of Chile and pay tribute to him with photographs, flowers and flags of their country (Photo: AFP)
HOW WERE THEY SAVED?
According to the regional prosecutor of Los Ríos, Tatiana Esquivel, the survivors explained that they left the helicopter on their own and swam with all their strength to get to safety.
That was the way they were able to escape the fate that former president Sebastián Piñera finally had. The Navy, after rescue efforts, was able to remove the former president from the water.
The Presidential Escort Regiment No. 1 Granaderos escorts the coffin with the body of the former president of Chile Sebastián Piñera at the Palace of the National Congress in Santiago on February 7, 2024 (Photo: AFP)
SEBASTIÁN PIÑERA DATA SHEET
- Name: Miguel Juan Sebastián Piñera Echenique
- Net worth: US$2.8 billion
- Source of wealth: Investments
- Nationality: Chile
- Date of birth: December 1, 1949
- Place of birth: Santiago
- Death: February 6, 2024 (74 years old)
- Profession: Politician, Entrepreneur, Investor, Businessman, Professor, Economist.
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SEBASTIÁN PIÑERA
HOW MUCH IS SEBASTIÁN PIÑERA’S FORTUNE ESTIMATED?
Sebastián Piñera, in addition to being an important politician in Chile, was a prominent businessman. He was a shareholder in the Chilean airline LAN – today the international airline LATAM -, owner of the Chilevisión channel and the Colo Colo soccer club and the Las Condes Clinic.
According to estimates of the Forbes magazine He estimated his assets at $2.8 billion, which his wife and children would inherit. He became the first billionaire to be president of Chile when he was elected in 2010. He served until 2014. Sebastián was re-elected as President of Chile in 2018.