Beauty queen, 22, dead after being struck by lightning in mother’s garden

By New York Post (World News) | Created at 2026-10-06 22:45:55 | Updated at 2026-10-06 23:16:36 36 minutes ago

See more of our coverage in your search results.

A Brazilian beauty queen and young mom died after being struck by lightning in her mother’s garden during a rainstorm Saturday.

Ana Beatriz Araújo Ferreira, 22, was combing her niece’s hair in an outdoor bathtub area on her mother’s property when she was zapped in a split second, seemingly out of nowhere, according to the Daily Mail.

“The day was cloudy with a very calm drizzle,” her brother, César Augusto, explained to CNN Brazil.

Ana Beatriz Araújo Ferreira wearing a white rodeo outfit, a cowboy hat, and a sash reading "Rainha do Rodeio".Ana Beatriz Araújo Ferreira, 22, was killed by a lightning bolt strike. JamPress

“She was combing my niece’s hair when the bolt hit,” her sister, Lana Letícia, said.

The rodeo queen, who also goes by the nickname “Aninha,” had just finished bathing her 5-year-old son and was brushing Augusto’s daughter’s hair when the bolt struck her.

She was rushed to a nearby hospital in Almas, where she succumbed to her injuries.

Augusto remembered his sister as someone who loved helping others in simple ways, saying she died “doing what she loved most, showing love through something simple.”

“Aninha is and was one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever known,” he added.

“Thank you for those 22 years of us,” he said of Ferreira in an Instagram post. 

Ana Beatriz Araújo Ferreira sitting on a wooden fence, holding a cowboy hat, with a sunset sky in the background.Ferreira was recently crowned Queen of the Rodeo at ExpoAlmas, an annual agriculture and livestock fair in central Brazil. JamPress

“For having existed. For teaching us so much in such a short time. You aren’t truly gone. You live on in your son, in our story, and in a love that will never end.”

Ferreira was a student at Unopar University, where she balanced her studies in physiotherapy with caring for her young son, Luiz Henrique, according to CNN Brasil.

She was recently crowned Queen of the Rodeo at ExpoAlmas, an annual agriculture and livestock fair in central Brazil.

ExpoAlmas mourned her alongside family members.

“Her passing leaves a huge void among family, friends, and the entire community that had the privilege of knowing her,” organizers said in a statement.

“In this moment of grief, we stand in solidarity with [her] family and friends, wishing them strength and comfort to face [this] irreparable loss.”

Read Entire Article