British Tourist Goes Missing in Southern Brazil

By Lise Alves, Senior Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Authorities in Alpestre, in the Southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, continue to search for missing British tourist Katherine Sarah Brewster. Brewster, 27 is said to have wandered into the woods on Sunday morning, March 25th, near Foz de Chapeco lake to meditate and has not been seen since.

“The information we have is that she went out for a walk by herself on Sunday morning and never came back,” Sheriff Ercilio Carletti told local media. “One of the hypothesis is that she wondered into the lake, which is very deep,” added the law enforcement agent. Brewster is said to have taken her passport and credit cards with her.

According to Brazilian officials Brewster, a London native, arrived in the country at the beginning of the year and lately had been staying at the alternative community known as Dom Jose and going to sustainability lectures at Unipermacultura.

The facility, however, denies the British tourist was staying there or that she even took any of the classes at Unipermacultura. “Unipermaculture hereby informs that Katherine Sarah Brewster, of English nationality, was not a student, nor a guest, nor a resident of the Unipermaculture or Ecovila Dom José, nor did she ever attend our offices or had contact or conversations with any member in our institution,” said the note released through social media.

According to Clairton da Silva, administrative coordinator at Unipermaculture, Brewster lived as a guest in the house of the couple who live in the rural village of Don José, not associated to his university.

“The rural community of Dom José is composed of quiet and peaceful families and there have been no cases of violence or the presence of the police since we moved to the community three years ago,” concluded the note.