The Education Department of Camboriu, on the north coast of Santa Catarina, mourned the early death of Benjamim Amado Vieira at the age of 6. A small boy drowned in Barra Norte on the central beach of Balneario Camboriu on Tuesday afternoon (13).

Through the note, the mayor’s office sympathized with the grief of a family mourning the death of a young student who graduated from preschool a week ago.

Benjamim studied at CEI Eurípedes Paula da Silva and drowned on the central beach of Balneario Camboriu. Photo: reproduction/Secom Camboriú

“It is with deep regret that the City Hall of Camboriu announces the death of Benjamin Amado Vieira. Benjamim was a student at CEI Eurípedes Paula da Silva and graduated from Pre a week ago. The Community Network deeply regrets this loss and expresses its condolences to family members, relatives and friends.

The commemoration will take place at the Assembly of God church in the Monte Alegre area. The funeral is scheduled for 4:00 pm at the Fazenda Municipal Cemetery in Itajai.

Firefighters spent an hour trying to revive the boy.

The drowning occurred in Barra Norte on the city’s central beach, close to the Arena Verão facility set up for the season last week. Firefighters isolated the rescue site where the child was treated. Despite this, many bathers flocked to the area.

The 13th military fire battalion, which serves the Balneario Camboriu region, confirmed the death of the child.

Firefighters and SAMU responded to the incident – Video: Magnus Campos/Reproduction/ND

Bathers called for help from lifeguards at Posto 1 on Central Beach around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. Firefighters tried to visualize the child in the water using visual searches and CCTV.

The six-year-old boy was found about 400 meters from the gas station, near the Marambaia Hotel.

Students from a jet ski course that was taking place near the Barra Norte pier were called in and pulled the victim out of the water.

The child had a 6th degree of drowning, that is, cardiac and respiratory arrest.

Resuscitation efforts were initiated on the sand of the beach and support from SAMU was requested. After an hour of unsuccessful attempts at resuscitation, the child was pronounced dead.

drowning prevention

According to the Brazilian Water Rescue Society (Sobrasa), 15 Brazilians drown every day. Fire service manuals show that rip currents are responsible for more than 90% of drownings in salt water.

Currents are a reverse flow of water that returns from the coast to the sea, forming a corridor with a current that can carry a person off the beach in a few seconds.

The drowning occurred in Barra Norte de Balneario Camboriu – Photo: Magnus Campos/Reproduction/ND

On beaches guarded by lifeguards, the reverse current is determined by two red flags on the sandy strip. Swimming in the sea between two flags is not recommended.

In order to recognize the reverse flow on unguarded beaches, one must pay attention to some of their characteristics: the waves in these places do not break, and the color of the water tends to differ from the rest of the beach, becoming darker.

What to do if you are caught in reverse:

If you can swim, swim to the side and, once you get out of the current, you can swim back to shore. Don’t try to swim against the current; this is a common mistake that can quickly lead to severe fatigue.

If you can’t swim, don’t despair. First, try to send a signal so that the lifeguards and/or bathers are aware of the situation. Second, stay calm and try to swim in the water until help arrives; the reverse current has an end and will not lead you to the middle of the ocean.