Tourist dies after being washed away to sea taking selfies

 Posted on September 18, 2024  |  3 minutes  |  566 words  |  Reinaldo Massengill

Two tourists got washed out to sea after being struck by a wave while they posed on rocks for selfies as their cousin filmed the harrowing aftermath

Amanda Maria Roque, 19, and Leonardo Santos, 25, clambered onto wet rocks at coastal town Farol de Santa Marta in Brazil during a holiday last month.

Cousin Jeferson da Conceicao, 19, had refused to join them, but decided to film as a giant waves threw them about, ultimately leading to one of them dying.

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Amanda Maria Roque, 19, and Leonardo Santos, 25, (circled) were washed into the sea in this picture taken from a video taken by Cousin Jeferson da Conceicao

Amanda Maria Roque, 19, and Leonardo Santos, 25, (circled) were washed into the sea in this picture taken from a video taken by Cousin Jeferson da Conceicao

The pair were washed into the raging sea while Jeferson - who had also been taking pictures - recorded them being flung around by the water after he had called for help.

Lifeguards arrived on a jet ski and dragged Amanda from the sea but Leonardo had already been swept away.

Tragically, Leonardo's body was found four days later in the Laguna district, state of Santa Catarina.

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Amanda told rescuers she tried to hold on to her unconscious cousin by his hair but the power of waves dragged him away.

She said: 'We met at the shore near the lighthouse to take some pictures.

'Myself and Leonardo went onto the rocks and were surprised by the force of a wave which took us into the sea.

'Me and my cousin were sucked into the water and tried to swim but I realised he was disorientated and drowning.

'I tried to make him react, to keep him awake. 

'But the waves were hitting us a lot and I realised that he has unconscious because he had swallowed so much water.

'I still thought that he could be saved so I held onto his hair for some time. 

'But another wave came and at that point I could no longer see him and could not save his life.

'A jet ski arrived and led me to the beach.'

The three had travelled down from Sao Paulo.

The three had travelled down to the village of Farol de Santa Marta in Brazil from Sao Paulo

The three had travelled down to the village of Farol de Santa Marta in Brazil from Sao Paulo

Rescuers who pulled Amanda from the water said she was coughing up water and vomiting.

She was taken to hospital along with Jeferson who told investigators he tried convincing the pair not to take the selfies but that they insisted on it. 

He said he stayed at the top and took pictures of the scenery and began recording his relatives after running to a lifeguard and returning to the scene.

A spokesman for the Laguna Fire Brigade who investigated the drowning warned others not to take risky pictures next to the sea.

They said: 'The teenage girl was rescued but we found the older man on April 19. He had drowned in the sea after being hit by waves.

'Nobody should go close to the sea to take pictures from rocks. The sea on that day was very strong and nobody can predict how it will behave.' 

 who had travelled down with her cousins from Sao Paulo,

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