American Tourist Found Dead in Brazil Days After He Went Missing While Hiking

An American tourist was found dead at the base of a waterfall in Brazil four days after he was reported missing.

According to the Daily Mail, a search and rescue team on Wednesday recovered the body of Raul Jimenez, a 30-year-old Delray Beach, Florida resident, who disappeared after being swept away by a flash flood in the central Brazilian state of Goiás.

The fire department said the American tourist was found dead at the base of a waterfall in Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park at Alto Paraíso de Goiás by a military unit specializing in search and rescue operations.

How American Tourist Raul Jimenez Died in Brazil

Raul Jimenez was reportedly taking a vacation in Brazil with two of his friends. They went on a hike on Saturday when the waterfall in Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park suddenly picked up strength.

The American tourist and his friends were walking through rocks when the water level increased. The floodwaters reportedly became shoulder-deep and swept them away downstream.

NBC 6 South Florida reported that both Jimenez's friends survived the ordeal, with one of them managing to hold onto a rock for about six hours before rescuers arrived. The American tourist went missing, and his sister and parents flew to Brazil to help with the search while his friends in Florida held a vigil.

Jimenez's sister, Gabriela Jimenez, told the outlet that her brother's bag "started floating away with the water and he was like, 'no, I want to get my bag,' so he was, like, I want to go and get my bag, and then he tried to get his bag and the water came flashing down, and it took him."

Gabriela noted that her brother was a "happy spirit" and a "happy person." She also said that Jimenez was a musician and an artist who loved adventure.

She added that her brother was "not someone who would put his life at risk." The Brazilian military spent days trying to find Jimenez, using drones, helicopters, and divers to search for him.

GoFundMe Page Created For American Tourist's Family

After news of his death was confirmed, some touching tributes on social media honored Raul Jimenez. Along with a photo of her and her husband with Jimenez at their 2020 wedding," Ananda Leigh, wrote on Instagram: "Thank you for shining your light into this world... Your smile lit up the room... You will forever be in our hearts dear brother. I am lucky to have many special memories together playing, praying, singing, being silly, loving life."

A GoFundMe was also created to support his family, but it closed after reaching a total of $33,856. The U.S. State Department earlier said that they were ready to provide all appropriate consular assistance to the family of the deceased American tourist.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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