By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-10-31 16:16:56 | Updated at 2024-11-06 17:45:33
6 days ago
A 22-year-old influencer who was killed in a head-on collision with another jet ski in Brazil posted a photo of him drinking alcohol just minutes before the crash.
João Chagas was riding a jet ski when he slammed into another one driven by Sinair de Amorim, 44, near a marina last Friday in São Vicente, a city of the southeastern state of São Paulo.
Chagas suffered injuries to his skull, cervical spine and chest and went into cardiac arrest for 30 minutes before he was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the São Vicente city government said in a statement.
A witness told the police that Chagas drank alcohol prior to the accident and that he was driving the jet ski at a high speed.
Brazilian influencer João Chagas was killed in a jet skit accident last Friday in São Vicente
One of João Chagas' closest friends and business partners described the 22-year-old as a person 'who drew the crowd' and "really liked" by people
Prior to the deadly accident, João Chagas posted a photo of a glass with a drink. A witness told police that the 22-year-old influencer and events producer had been consuming alcohol and riding a jet ski at a high speed
Moments before the crash, he took to his Instagram Stories and posted a photo of a champagne glass that he was holding.
De Amorim told the São Paulo Military Police that he was returning to land when Chagas collided with him.
'Suddenly out of nowhere, I just felt the blow,' de Amorim said in an interview with TV Tribuna. 'I don't know where it came from or what happened. I fell into the water half dazed. When I got up, I just saw a bunch of jet ski parts scattered around. I still didn't understand what happened.'
De Amorim, who suffered a fractured rib, recalled seeing an object that resembled his jet ski seat and realized it was a life jacket attached to Chagas' body.
Chagas was a well-known influencer who worked as an events organizer.
Sanir de Amorim (pictured) told TV Tribuna that he was returning to land on his jet ski when João Chagas slammed into him head-on. De Amorim suffered a fractured a rib
Pictured: The wreckage of Chagas and de Amorim's jet ski collision
João Chagas spent time in Europe in May and visited Paris
The 22-year-old influencer at Disneyland Paris during his vacation trip to Europe, which also included stays in Helsinki, Riga and Amsterdam
Luciana Batista, who works as a DJ and publicist, met Chagas as a seven-year-old at a martial arts school and had been working with him since 2021.
'He never let me down, he always found a solution for everything. He was very good at what he did … João was pure entertainment,' Batista said.
'He knew a lot of people and drew the crowd. People really liked him," she added.
'The girls went wherever he was, whether to be with him (in his company) or to work.'
Batista said that Chagas was able to fulfill his lifelong dream of vacationing in Europe in April, visiting Paris, Helsinki, Riga and Amsterdam.
