Celebrations for the start of 2026 were marred on the coast of the Brazilian state of São Paulo, where at least four people died and three others remain missing after entering the sea. According to a preliminary report from the Fire Department released on Friday, the drownings occurred on Thursday in the popular beach cities of Guarujá and Praia Grande. Authorities reported that search operations resumed in the early hours of today to try to locate three bathers who were last seen on the coast of Praia Grande, Bertioga, and Itanhaém. The Maritime Fire Group highlighted the intensity of surveillance during the New Year, detailing that on Wednesday, December 31st alone, 122 people at risk in the water were rescued. Official statistics for 2025 reflect the danger of currents in the region: last year, 83 drownings were counted on the São Paulo coast, while more than 4,000 people were rescued alive. In December alone, emergency operations saved nearly 700 bathers in 582 interventions, consolidating a month of extremely high activity for rescuers in Brazil's most populous state.
