Social Media Obsession: Brazil Influencers Drown After Refusing Life Jackets for Photo

Two social media influencers drowned after a speedboat accident off Brazil’s coast, reportedly declining life jackets to avoid tan lines in photos. The tragedy occurred on September 29 along a stretch known as the “Devil’s Throat” near São Paulo, according to local reports cited by the New York Post. The victims, identified as 37-year-old Aline Tamara Moreira de Amorim and 27-year-old Beatriz Tavares da Silva Faria, were part of a group of six influencers returning to shore after a yacht party.

According to São Vincente Police Commissioner Marcos Alexandra Alfino, the women refused the life-saving gear, with witnesses, including the boat’s captain, claiming some were preoccupied with taking selfies and concerned the vests would affect their tans. The boat, carrying more than its intended five-passenger capacity, was capsized by a wave, making it too heavy to recover.

The boat’s skipper, one of five survivors, told authorities he made attempts to save everyone onboard, but Faria and Amorim declined to wear life jackets despite his urging. Ms. Faria’s body was later found by Brazil’s Maritime Firefighters, while Ms. Amorim’s body washed ashore on Itaquitanduva Beach days later.

Police are now investigating whether the incident was a tragic accident or preventable through better precautions. “We are carefully determining if the fatalities were due to recklessness or negligence,” Alfino stated.

Survivor Vanessa Audrey da Silva recounted her experience, explaining she managed to grab a life jacket and survived by clinging to nearby rocks. She shared, “At one point, nobody could see anyone. I was fighting for life.” Moments before the accident, Ms. Amorim had posted photos on social media aboard the luxury yacht, a detail that underscores the tragic outcome of the fateful journey.