Boat drama in Brazil

Life jacket not suitable for selfies: influencers dead

Aline Tamara Moreira de Amorim (37) thought a life jacket would ruin her photos - now the influencer and her colleague Beatriz Tavares da Silva Faria (27) are dead.

(Bild: APA/instagram.com/liih_abencoada/)

Because they thought they would ruin their photos and their tan, two influencers from Brazil decided not to wear life jackets during a yacht party. A wave hit their boat and it sank - the two women, aged 37 and 27, drowned in the accident.

They had planned to party hard on a luxury yacht at the end of September, but life jackets were not an appropriate accessory for the two women that day. They wanted to return to the coast after the party and changed to a smaller boat. The captain of the boat stated that he had been forced to take six influencers with him, even though the vessel was only licensed for five people. 

According to her Instagram profile, Aline Tamara Moreira de Amorim liked to travel on boats - she never wore a life jacket in the pictures:

"They said the vests interfered with their tanning"
"Some didn't want to wear them because they were taking selfies," said the chief of police of Sao Vincente, Marcos Alexandre Alfino, describing the situation a few days ago. "They said they were getting in the way of them tanning." When a huge wave hit the boat, the party guests must have bitterly regretted this decision. The boat sank in the waves. The captain and four passengers survived. The bodies of the two people who drowned, Aline Tamara Moreira de Amorim and Beatriz Tavares da Silva Faria, were washed up on the shore a few days later.

Survivors: "Very strong swell, almost died"
The captain told the police that he had desperately tried to save everyone. One survivor described the agony after the accident: "The swell was very strong, we almost died. We couldn't swim," said Camila. She only just managed to get hold of a lifejacket and clung to it. "I knew I wouldn't be able to stand it for long. I hurt my foot and swallowed a lot of water."

A picture of 27-year-old influencer Beatriz Tavares da Silva Faria:

The 37-year-old influencer who drowned was also unable to swim. She leaves behind a child. The 27-year-old fatality was a CrossFit trainer and had been working as a model since her school days.

Investigation underway 
Meanwhile, investigations are underway into whether the deaths could have been prevented. "All of this is being calmly investigated to determine whether the deaths were due to recklessness or negligence," said police chief Alfino.