Colombia plane crash: Chapecoense masseur ‘would have given his own life to save any other passenger’ on doomed flight
Daughter speaks of grief after death of father Serginho, who had been with club since days in the fourth tier of Brazilian football
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THE daughter of Chapecoense masseur Serginho has spoken of her disbelief as she heard of the Brazilian side’s fateful plane crash over the internet.
Sergio Luis Ferreira de Jesus was one of 71 people who tragically died in the tragic accident in Colombia on Tuesday as the club travelled to play the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final.
And daughter Vanessa told of her agony as she waited for news of her father’s fate.
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The 21-year-old cried: “We found out over the internet. My cousin called me just after 3am on Tuesday.
“I did not want to believe it. But I later saw it was true, and I heard no news from father.
“I spoke to him the morning before his trip. He said he would call me when he arrived in Colombia.”
Serginho, who was aged 42, had been the head masseuse at Chapecoense for 10 years throughout the underdogs’ miraculous climb from the fourth tier to the cusp of continental glory.
He had fulfilled a life-long dream after first accompanying his uncle as a child, before succeeding him in the role.
And Vanessa said Serginho, who also leaves behind a one-year-old son and wife Mariza, would have given his own life to save the other passengers on the plane.
Wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with her father’s face, she added: “My father had been completely in love with this club since the day I was born. I was born in the Chapecoense family.
“My father had worked there since he was 12 years old. He loved the job. It was the thing he loved most in the world.
“He was much loved by all the players. If he had the opportunity, he would have died to save someone.
“My father’s heart was bigger than he was.”
