Brazilian Goalkeeper Called His Wife Prior to Fatal Plane Crash in Colombia

The goalkeeper of the Brazilian soccer team called his wife prior to Tuesday morning’s fatal plane crash that took his life and the lives of 71 others, including many of his teammates. 

Read: At Least 76 Killed After Plane Carrying Brazilian Soccer Team Crashes in Colombia

Chapecoense keeper Marcos Danilo, 31, a devoted husband and father of one who has played on the team for the last three years, saw them rise from lower Brazilian divisions to the top leagues of the country and continent.

The plane, which was en route to Medellin, Colombia, where the Brazilian squad was to play the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana against Colombian team Atletico Nacional, crashed near the city where they were supposed to land.

Danilo spoke to his wife before the crash and was rescued after the plane went down. He spoke to his wife again in a Colombia hospital before he died of his injuries.

The plane was carrying 77 people, including members of the Chapecoense team and members of the media, as well as nine crew members. Six people have survived the tragedy. 

The six survivors included players Jakson Follmann. 24. Helio Hermito Zampier Neto, 31, Alan Ruschel, 27, as well as journanalist Rafael Henzel Valmorbida and crew members Ximena Suárez, Erwin Tumiri. 

On Tuesday afternoon, Colombian authorities said four people did not board the fatal flight.

Authorities also recovered the plane's black boxes Tuesday afternoon. 

Investigators are still working to figure out the cause of the crash. Aviation authorities said that the plane carrying the team declared an emergency due to an electrical failure before the crash.

The same British Aerospace 146 short-haul plane, operated by a Bolivian charter airline LaMia, was used earlier in the month to carry one of the sport’s most recognizable faces – Lionel Messi and the rest of the Argentina national team.

Colombian squad Atletico Nacional have asked CONMEBOL, South America’s governing soccer body, to award Chapecoense the Copa Sudamericana title.

In a statement, the team said: “After worrying about the human aspect, we thought about the competitive aspect and we want to publish this statement in which Atletico Nacional asks CONMEBOL to present the title for the Copa Sudamericana to Chapecoense to honor their big loss and as a posthumous honor to the victims of the fatal accident that our sport mourns. For our part, and forever, Chapecoense [is] the Champion of the Copa Sudamericana 2016."

Also aboard the flight were six employees of Fox Sports, who all perished in the crash.

"The families, friends and colleagues of those affected are deep in our thoughts at this difficult time," the Murdoch family, which own Fox Sports, said in a statement. "We are doing everything we can to help manage the situation and take care of all of our people and the families impacted by this tragedy. In support of these efforts, we are setting up a fund in honor of our colleagues. More details to come. We are sorry to bring you this sad news today. We will all keep our colleagues in our thoughts and prayers.”

On Wednesday, the fans who were supposed to witness a soccer match inside the Atanasio Girardot Sports Complex, will instead hold a vigil for the players lost.

Tributes from around the soccer world have poured in following the news of the crash.

Manchester United tweeted their support for the Brazilian club.

United lost eight players after a plane they were chartering crashed in Munich, Germany, in 1958. Twenty-three of the 44 victims, including supporters, employees of the squad and journalists traveling with the team perished. Twenty-one people survived.

Read: Recently Engaged Woman and Dad of 3 Among 4 Victims Killed in Air Ambulance Plane Crash

Torino Football Club also tweeted their condolences. The Northern Italian club faced a similar tragedy in 1949 when a plane carrying the entire team crashed into the Basilica of Superga near Turin. All 31 on board were killed.

Icons of Brazilian soccer like Pele, Kaka, Neymar and Ronaldinho all expressed their condolences on social media.

Other big names of the game like David Beckham, Carlo Ancelotti, Paulo and Maldini all expressed sympathy following the news.

CONMEBOL has suspended all activity until further notice.

Watch: 5-Year-Old Burn Victim Who Lost His Family in Firebomb Attack Gets to Meet His Favorite Team

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