A couple were swept to their deaths by a massive flood sparked by a waterfall as they embarked on a hiking tour through a remote beauty spot. Thassia de Almeida and her boyfriend Leone Barbosa had been part of a group of 10 walkers exploring the Peixe Tolo Canyon in Serra do Intendente State Park in Minas Gerais, Brazil, when they were struck by the torrent of water on April 19.
The two were surprised by a usually gentle waterfall near Conceicao do Mato Dentro that was left swollen following a huge storm in the area. They were carried further upstream after being swept away without warning after the weather caused a powerful phenomenon known as a waterhead.
Police say the bodies of Thassia, 36, and 38-year-old Leone were found further downstream by a spotter plane nearly 24 hours after they were caught in the shock current.
Their terrified companions had escaped the deadly flood, and were found by rescuers following a joint operation by the Fire Department, Municipal Civil Defense, Municipal Department of Tourism and State Forestry Institute.
The rescuers spent the night caring for their charges – some of whom had found shelter in a local property and called in the accident – before evacuating them from the park. They had not sustained injuries themselves, but were reportedly left “terrified” by the experience.
Disaster meteorologist Giovanni Dolif explained the waterfall was left swollen after “intense rainfall” descended on the head of the river the group was walking nearby. He said: “The intense rain fell on the head of the river, which made it rise very rapidly causing a wave called a waterhead.”
Naiane Araújo, from the National Institute of Meteorology (Inmet), told local publication UOL that storms and surges of this type tend to be more common during the warmer months. She explained that headwaters are areas of “intense instability” that usually occur where the waterfall descends into the body of water below.
She said: “A headwater is an area of intense instability that causes heavy rain at the headwaters of a river or waterfall. It dumps a lot of water in a short period of time, suddenly increasing the volume of the river or waterfall, hence the danger.”
Local officials have since opted to shut the Canyon, with a spokesperson for the City Hall of Conceição do Mato Dentro saying the governing body “expresses solidarity with the families of the victims”.
The spokesperson said: “By order of the Fire Department and the State Forestry Institute, the attraction is temporarily closed. The City of Conceição do Mato Dentro deeply regrets the loss, expresses solidarity with the families of the victims and is available to provide any assistance necessary in this time of mourning and pain.”
At Reach and across our entities we and our partners use information collected through cookies and other identifiers from your device to improve experience on our site, analyse how it is used and to show personalised advertising. You can opt out of the sale or sharing of your data, at any time clicking the “Do Not Sell or Share my Data” button at the bottom of the webpage. Please note that your preferences are browser specific. Use of our website and any of our services represents your acceptance of the use of cookies and consent to the practices described in our Privacy Notice and Cookie Notice.
