Family Says Father Who Drowned in Espírito Santo River First Saved Older Son

Overview

• Jeremias Machado Ribeiro, 41, and his son Bernardo, 7, drowned on December 25 in a rural river in Jerônimo Monteiro, Espírito Santo, according to local authorities.
• Relatives told firefighters the child began to struggle in the water, and the father's sister says he pulled an older son from a deep spot before being swept away as Bernardo was also carried off.
• Firefighters began searching on December 25, suspended operations overnight, and the dive team located both bodies early afternoon on December 26.
• Forensic police were called, the bodies were taken to the Regional Medical Legal Service in Cachoeiro de Itapemirim for examinations, and then released to the family.
• The victims were visiting from Rio de Janeiro for Christmas and were buried on the morning of December 27 at the Municipal Cemetery of Jerônimo Monteiro.