Rafael Henzel

Brazilian radio broadcaster (1973–2019)

Rafael Henzel
Born	Rafael Henzel Valmorbida (1973-08-25)August 25, 1973 São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Died	March 26, 2019(2019-03-26) (aged 45) Chapecó, Santa Catarina, Brazil
Occupation(s)	Journalist, announcer

Rafael Henzel Valmorbida (August 25, 1973 – March 26, 2019) was a Brazilian radio broadcaster who worked at Radio Oeste Capital FM, in the city of Chapecó, Santa Catarina.^[1]

Biography

Born in São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul, Rafael began his career as a radio broadcaster at the age of fifteen at Radio Oeste Capital FM, in the city of Chapecó, Santa Catarina, passing through several radio stations in the city until he made his television debut in 1993 as a reporter for RCE TV, located in Xanxerê.^[2]

He was internationally known for being the only journalist who survived the accident of LaMia Flight 2933, which occurred in November 2016.^[3] Henzel was one of six survivors of the air tragedy whose plane crashed seventeen kilometers from José María Córdova Airport, near Medellín.^[4]

After staying in the ICU for ten days and twenty days in a hospital in the city of Medellin, Rafael returned to Chapecó on December 13, 2016, along with Alan Ruschel, one of the survivors of the accident.^[5] Despite the accident, the announcer expressed interest in returning to work to retransmit the historic match between Chapecoense and Zulia, in the 2017 Copa Libertadores in Venezuela.^[6]

Death

He died on March 26, 2019, after suffering a massive heart attack while playing a football match. "Henzel was reunited with friends for a football match when he became ill. He was taken to West Regional Hospital still alive, but he did not resist sudden illness."^[7] He was buried in the Garden of Eden cemetery in Chapecó.^[8]

References

^ "Rafael Henzel, Chapecoense plane crash survivor, dies after football game". BBC News. March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
^ "Sobrevivente de acidente aéreo, Rafael Henzel trabalhou na TV Rio Sul" (in Portuguese). Portal G1 – Sul do Rio e Costa Verde. November 29, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
^ "Avião com equipe da Chapecoense sofre acidente na Colômbia e deixa mortos" (in Portuguese). Portal G1 – Mundo. November 29, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
^ "Colômbia anuncia fim do resgate de avião: 71 mortos e seis sobreviventes" (in Portuguese). GloboEsporte.com – Chapecoense. December 29, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
^ "Rafael Henzel e Alan Ruschel desembarcam em Chapecó" (in Portuguese). ClicRBS. Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
^ "Rafael Henzel que narrar jogo da Chape na Venezuela" (in Portuguese). Portal do Holanda. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
^ "Morre jornalista Rafael Henzel, sobrevivente da tragédia com avião da Chapecoense". GaúchaZH (in Portuguese). March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2019.
^ "Com homenagens, corpo de jornalista Rafael Henzel é enterrado em Chapecó". www.folhavitoria.com.br (in Portuguese). March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2019.