37-year-old Aline Tamara Moreira de Amorim and 27-year-old Beatriz Tavares da Silva Faria, two Brazilian influencers, went out for a luxurious yacht party, along with other members. The event was set off from the coast of São Vicente, São Paulo, Brazil.
The high-end yacht event was all about socialising, enjoying festivities, having fun and of course taking scenic pictures and posting online.
However, the decision not to wear life jackets to avoid ruining tans and selfies cost the influencers their precious lives.
Before the tragic accident, the two young girls hopped on a smaller speedboat from the yacht to sail towards the shore. In case you missed: Madeleine McCann’s Parents Make Heartbreaking Confession 17 Years After She Disappeared.
Unluckily, having a capacity of only five people, the speed boat was crowded with two extras, as the speed boat was carrying seven people instead of the usual five.
Despite being warned by the captain, Aline and Beatriz refused to wear life jackets because of beauty concerns. As wearing life jackets could ruin their sun tans and selfies, they said.
Not knowing how to swim didn’t make the two girls opt for safety precautions.
Things worsened when the unpredictable nature of the sea came into play. The roughness of the sea capsized the sea boat and threw the passengers into the water at the dangerous Devil’s Throat area of the Iguazu River.
Some overboard victims clanged to the rocks and stones while the waves swept away Aline and Beatriz. The captain tried his best to save the drowning passengers but the decision of not wearing life jacket robbed the girls of their lives.
Sadly, the bodies of the two influencers, Aline and Beatriz, were found later, one on the shore and the other at sea.
Just before this dreadful incident, Aline had posted her pictures online on social media.
This shocking incident shows how influencers take risks, sometimes beyond what seems reasonable, to post content on social media. But disheartening, no amount of likes on those pictures can bring the precious lives back.
A 2023 study done at the University of New South Wales indicates that the frequency of injuries and casualties, in order to take risky selfies, is rising in today’s era of social media hype. The study emphasises the dire need to take measures to reduce preventable accidents.
One of the survivors, Vanessa Audrey da Silva, shared chilling details on the incident, how she was not able to see anything except waves of water.
She mentioned that wearing a life jacket helped her stay afloat, and she somehow managed to cling to the rock until help arrived.
This catastrophic incident is a life lesson for others to prioritise safety precautions over anything else – you name it. Influencers, as well as the general public, need to weigh the dangerous risks taken for social media popularity.
