Nine people, including seven crew members, died in a tragic road accident in southern Brazil. The accident occurred when the van transporting the team was hit by a truck that apparently lost its brakes, according to the Federal Highway Police (PRF).
The team was returning to Pelotas after participating in the Brazilian Rowing Championship in Sao Paulo. The rowers, aged between 15 and 19, were from the Centro Português club and the project Rowing for the Future, supported by the Pelotas mayor's office, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. In addition to the seven young people, the driver, aged 52, and the team coordinator, aged 43, also lost their lives.
A 17-year-old who was traveling in the van survived with minor injuries. Both he and the truck driver, who were taken to a nearby hospital, were the only survivors of the accident, authorities confirmed.
"They were at the top of their careers, winning medals and taking the name of our Rio Grande to the highest in a competition of great national relevance," expressed Eduardo Leite, governor of Rio Grande do Sul.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva joined the mourning, stating: "There are no words to describe the pain of losing a son or a grandchild. The pain is irreparable."