Five Dead Including Girl, 5, After Canoe Sinks On River

Five people including a five-year-old girl have drowned after their canoe sank in a river.

The tragic accident took place on the Parnaiba River close to the village of Formiga in a rural part of the municipality of Antonio Almeida in the Brazilian state of Piaui on the afternoon of Sunday, 17th October.

Eleven people were on the canoe at the time, enjoying a day out on the river. Only six survived.

Julianne Magalhaes, 36, and her daughter, Maria Julia, 5, tried to go back to the waters to look for her daughter and disappeared, in the Parnaiba river , on 17th October. (Newsflash)

Local health secretary Jamila Martins revealed how the accident unfolded. She said: “Water started to enter the canoe and one of the men commanding the canoe asked three people to go to the back. However, many people went and the vessel ended up sinking.”

According to Martins, water may have started to enter the canoe due to overcrowding.

According to local fishermen who spoke to reporters, the river is 10 to 15 metres (33-49 ft) deep.

Fernanda Pereira dos Santos, 18, with Maria Julia, 5, she was the nanny and was found dead after in the Parnaiba river , on 19th October. (Newsflash)

Following the accident, firemen including divers went to the scene to try to find the missing group members.

The victims were named as Julianne Bezerra Magalhaes Saraiva, 36, Maria Julia Magalhaes Saraiva Martins, 5, Jocilene Araujo de Brito Sousa, 38, Elissandra Barros Siqueira, 21, and Fernanda Pereira dos Santos, 18.

Julianne was a biology teacher and Maria Julia’s mother. She was married to Darson Saraiva Martins, the owner of the canoe who survived the accident.

Jocilene Araujo de Brito Sousa, 38, was found dead after in the Parnaiba river , on 17th October. (Newsflash)

Darson had managed to pull his wife to the riverbank, but she returned to the water to look for their daughter and disappeared. Their bodies were found close to each other on Monday afternoon.

Jocilene was the sister of a local councillor. Her husband was piloting the canoe with Darson and survived. It is not known if their son was on board the vessel at the time. Jocilene’s body was found on Monday morning.

Elissandra was Jocilene’s friend and her body was also found on Monday morning.

Julianne Magalhaes, 36, pictured with her daughter, Maria Julia, and husband, tried to go back to the waters to look for her daughter and disappeared, in the Parnaiba river , on 17th October. (Newsflash)

Fernanda was Maria Julia’s nanny and her body was only found on Tuesday morning.

The survivors include a 14-year-old boy and two girls aged 16 and five.

A team from the Port Authority of Piaui, which is part of the Brazilian Navy, is investigating the accident.

Tags: , , ,