- Sister reveals he did not know how to swim and had been drinking alcohol right before tragic accident
The tragic moment a man in northeast Brazil was thrown off a jet ski before he drowned was caught on camera.
The tragic scene
Dramatic footage shows José de Melo, 29, riding in the back of the watercraft and holding on to his friend, Evanebio Barros, 35, who was performing stunts at Lake Jaçanaú in Maracanú, Ceará, last Wednesday.
Barros could be seen piloting the jet ski at a high speed and making sharp turns when he and de Melo fell into the water.
Both men were not wearing vests at the time of the accident.
De Melo’s sister, Ana Shyrlani, told TV Verdes Mares, that despite the fact he was jet skiing, her brother did not know how to swim.
‘It was too late…’
Shyrlani also confirmed that Barros attempted to save her brother from drowning before it was too late.
After trying to save de Melo, Barros became afraid he would drown as well and managed to swim to shore.
Witnesses at the lake told authorities they had seen both men drink alcoholic beverages prior to the accident.
Shyrlani confirmed that de Melo was drinking before going on the jet ski ride, but she was not aware if Barros had consumed alcohol.
De Melo’s body was recovered by a fire department rescue team about six feet below the surface.
Authorities questioned Barros, who did not have a license to operate the jet ski.
No charges have been filed yet.
