RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Five people died on Friday afternoon, December 27th, in an accident involving a boat on Furnas Lake, in Carmo do Rio Claro (MG).
The victims, three adults, and two children, according to the State Police, were in a small wooden boat when it sank. None of the passengers were wearing life jackets.
Only one of the bodies, of a woman, has already been pulled from the waters. Furnas Lake has points where the depth exceeds 70 meters.
The names of the victims have not been disclosed, but they are all from Franca (400 km from São Paulo), according to the Minas Gerais police. The children are four and five years old. Searches at the scene are being conducted by the Fire Department.
In a note of regret, the City Hall of Carmo do Rio Claro reported on social media regretting the accident. “The City Hall of Carmo do Rio Claro regrets the accident that occurred on Friday afternoon, December 27th, in Furnas Lake, which resulted in the fatal deaths of five people […]. Our sincere condolences to the victims’ families and friends,” the statement says.
In the cities bathed by Furnas Lake, such as Capitólio, there are life jackets on board the boats providing nautical tours, but most tourists do not use them, as Folha newspaper reported last Tuesday, December 24th.
The Furnas hydroelectric dam was completed in 1963 and was behind the development of tourism in the 34 cities bathed by the lake that formed from it, known as the “Mar de Minas” (“Sea of Minas”).
In addition to tourist activities, the municipalities are paid royalties due to the areas having been flooded by the dam. Carmo do Rio Claro is among the cities that most attract tourists.