Skip to main content
Thursday, November 12, 2026Nov 12
Subscribe
All Sections
Search
More

Family of Colombia crash survivor ‘Neto’ has mixed emotions

A framed picture of Brazil's Chapecoense soccer player Neto, who survived the plane crash in Colombia that killed most of his teammates, hangs inside his parent's home in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016. Neto's wife told his family that Neto told her the day of the flight that he had had a dream that his airline crashed. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
A framed picture of Brazil's Chapecoense soccer player Neto, who survived the plane crash in Colombia that killed most of his teammates, hangs inside his parent's home in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016. Neto's wife told his family that Neto told her the day of the flight that he had had a dream that his airline crashed. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) A framed picture of Brazil's Chapecoense soccer player Neto, who survived the plane crash in Colombia that killed most of his teammates, hangs inside his parent's home in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016. Neto's wife told his family that Neto told her the day of the flight that he had had a dream that his airline crashed. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

By Associated Press 3 min read

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) – For the family of Brazilian soccer player Neto, as one of only six survivors of a plane crash in Colombia is known, there is joy and pain.

They feel it’s a miracle that their son, 31-year-old Helio Hermito Zampier, survived. But at the same time, they are struggling with loss because 71 passengers died, including 19 members of their son’s beloved team. The plane crashed on Monday night, a few miles (kilometers) from an airport in Medellin, Colombia.

“On one hand, we are very happy because our family member, Neto, is alive,” said Helam Marinho Zampier, Jr., Neto’s 34-year-old brother. “But at the same time, we are grieving because other lives were lost.”

“I can’t say that God saved my son,” said Neto’s father, Helam Marinho Zampier Sr., clearly searching for answers. “If that was the case, God would have saved everybody. I can say that God helped my son.”

Sitting in patio of their home on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro Thursday evening, several family members awaited more information from Neto’s wife, Simone, who had flown to Colombia. She and Neto live in Chapeco, the city in southern Brazil that is home to the team, with their 9-year-old twins.