The former spokesperson for Sebastián Piñera's second government revealed on Tuesday night the last
words of the Chilean ex-president before he drowned in the Lago Ranco commune.
Karla Rubilar confessed in an interview with
em>Canal 24 that Piñera made the difficult decision to save the lives of those accompanying him in the helicopter.
Onboard the aircraft piloted by the former Chilean president were his sister Magdalena Piñera, businessman
Ignacio Guerrero, and his son Bautista Guerrero. The last three survived thanks to Piñera's decision.
“We learned from the president's sister that his last words were: ‘Jump you first, because if
I jump with you, the helicopter will fall on top of you,’” Rubilar recounted.
“That was President Piñera. The one who told us yesterday, ‘help this government, regardless
of the opposition, help it, because Chile is first,’” she added. “That was the president, and that’s why we are here, with broken hearts.”
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On Tuesday night, Magdalena Piñera was
questioned by the press about her deceased brother, but she only said: “He was a great man, a very generous and very brave man.”
So far, it is unclear why Sebastián Piñera decided to take off under adverse conditions after having
lunch at the home of his friend José Cox, who had asked him not to leave until the rain stopped.p>
Piñera ignored the request and chose to head to his residence, located on the other side of the lake
, in bahía Coique, flying in his Robinson R66 helicopter.
The helicopter crashed just 400 meters from Cox's home, and it was his wife who reported the accident
. Cox boarded his boat and approached the victims, but only Magdalena Piñera, Ignacio Guerrero, and Bautista Guerrero were able to escape.
The ex-president was unable to unbuckle his seatbelt and
his body was later found by Navy personnel, floating in the lake.
The investigation is ongoing.
