Chilean ex-President Sebastian Pinera has died in a helicopter crash, generating an outpouring of condolences from politicians across Latin America.
The helicopter carrying Pinera, 74, and three passengers crashed into a lake in southern Chile. The former president was pronounced dead immediately after rescuers got to the site. The remaining three passengers survived.
Two sources told Reuters that Pinera was the pilot, but officials have not confirmed this or the helicopter's intended destination.
Pinera typically spent the summers of the Southern Hemisphere amid the gorgeous lakes of Chile's south, piloting his helicopter.
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President Gabriel Boric ordered three days of national mourning, and plans for Friday's former leader's state funeral have begun. He served two non-consecutive terms from 2010 to 2022.
Interior Minister Carolina Toha stated that the ex-president's remains had been retrieved from a lake near the town of Lago Ranco.
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"We remember him for the way he dedicated his life to public service," said Toha, who has been helping to lead efforts to battle deadly wildfires in recent days.
Pinera was arguably best recognized outside for his role in the remarkable 2010 rescue of 33 miners trapped beneath the Atacama desert. The event became a global media sensation and was the subject of a 2014 film titled "The 33."
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