The Chapecoense Tragedy: One Year Later
It has been a year since the Chapecoense tragedy, the accident that claimed the lives of 71 people and left only six survivors - three footballers, a journalist, a pilot, and a flight attendant. Here, we tell you what has happened to their lives since their recovery.
Alan Ruschel
Among the three players, he was the one who suffered the least damage after the accident. The player, who plays as a full-back, returned to the pitch in a match against Barcelona on August 7, where they played in the Joan Gamper Cup. He subsequently participated in an official competition on September 13 and remains active in the Brazilian club.
Jackson Follmann
The 25-year-old former goalkeeper will remain linked to the club for life, at least that's what the 'Chape' has stated. After losing his leg, Follmann is an ambassador for the team and is preparing with a sports management course to take on executive roles.
Helio Neto
The last survivor rescued from the disaster was Neto, who despite not having any injuries like his teammate and friend Follmann, the center-back has not been able to return to the pitch due to different pains. The player will continue his recovery and it is expected that he will be able to play again next year.
Rafael Henzel
There were 21 journalists traveling with the team to what would be their first international final, and Henzel was the only survivor among his colleagues. The journalist continues his life as normal with two radio programs and continues to commentate on Chapecoense matches. He also documented his experience on November 28 in a book called "Live as if every day were your last".
Ximena Suárez
The Bolivian flight attendant has stated on several occasions that she has had a hard time overcoming the experience she lived through. However, she got a tattoo of the plane taking off as a tribute to the people who boarded that plane. Currently, she works as a model and does not rule out the possibility of becoming a flight attendant again.
Erwin Tumiri
The mechanic of the plane was the passenger who received the least damage in that accident but was more affected psychologically, as he describes it. Tumiri made his last public appearance on a television program, where he met the firefighter who rescued him that day.