Influencers drowned after refusing to wear life jackets as they would ruin their tans and selfies.
In the Devil’s Throat area of the Iguazu River, two women were aboard an overcrowded speed boat when it capsized due to overcrowding.
According to So Vicente Police Commissioner Marcos Alexandre Alfino, the influencers apparently declined life jackets because they were “in the way of their tanning.”
Credit: @liih_abencoada/Instagram
In the end, this decision resulted in their tragic deaths as the boat overturned amid rough waves as a result of this decision.
As a result of the tragic incident, we are more aware of the risks influencers sometimes take to achieve social media success.
According to reports, Amorim and Faria were returning from a yacht party near So Paulo when the boat carrying six people exceeded its five-person capacity.
Although the captain attempted to keep everyone safe, the decision to forgo life jackets turned the outing fatal.
A few days after Amorim’s body was found washed ashore on Itaquitanduva Beach, his body was discovered.
The New York Post reports that she had posted photos from the yacht on social media just hours before the accident.
Vanessa Audrey da Silva, who wore a life jacket and clung to a rock until help arrived, shared chilling accounts of the accident.
“I remember there was a moment in the water when nobody could see anyone else,” she told the International Business Times in an interview.
Wearing a life jacket likely saved her life, demonstrating the importance of safety precautions in unpredictable situations.
While this incident is a grim reminder, social media influencers regularly risk their safety for likes and attention.
Other influencers have taken part in similar dangerous stunts, not only in this boat tragedy but also in other cases.
Earlier this year, Chinese national Huang Lihong fell into the Ijen, a volcano in Indonesia while on holiday.
She was trying to get the perfect selfie, hoping to get a shot of herself with the beautiful view in the background behind her as she took the picture.
Similarly, a 26-year-old British influencer fell to his death while trying to climb a bridge in Castilla-La Mancha.
Despite the known risks and slippery conditions caused by the rain, he scaled the 630-foot bridge with friends to capture the perfect shot, an act that resulted in his death.
A local councilor of the City of Talavera, Macarena Muoz, confirmed to Indy 100: “They had come to Talavera to climb the bridge and create content for social media, which has resulted in this unfortunate and sad outcome.”
The number of incidents related to selfies is on the rise, and experts express growing concerns about the public health impacts of this issue.
There has been an alarming rise in the number of injuries and deaths resulting from risky selfies since the University of New South Wales published a study in 2023 that highlights the urgency of putting safety measures in place at popular tourist destinations.
In India, numerous fatalities have been reported due to selfies taken at dangerous locations, according to the study.
Taking immediate action to prevent similar tragedies is essential as incidents increase.
A study by the University of New South Wales advocates safety signs and strict regulations at high-risk sites, emphasizing that influencers and the general public need to consider the cost of dangerous behaviors.
As a result of this call for action, it appears that the global ‘selfie obsession’ may now call for comprehensive interventions to prevent further deaths from occurring.