A popular lifestyle influencer, Jaqueline Barbosa Nascimento, has died at the age of 22, three days after going missing during a jet ski ride. The Military Firefighters Corps confirmed that they found her body at Jaguara Dam in Igaratá, Brazil, where she drowned.
Nascimento was identified at the scene by her mother, according to local reports. Firefighters recovered her body on Wednesday near São Paulo.
Police Investigate Circumstances Around Death
As per a report in Metrópoles, while authorities initially believed the tragedy was an accident, police are now investigating Nascimentoâs death as suspicious. Two friends who were with her during the trip gave statements that reportedly contradicted each other.
Security footage from a nearby property is being reviewed as part of the probe.
According to Globoâs G1, a witness reported that a fourth person had offered the group life jackets, which they refused before losing control of the jet ski and falling into the water.
A Growing Presence Online
Nascimento, who had over 12,000 followers on Instagram and 1,700 on TikTok, often shared glimpses of her daily life with her audience. Her final posts, a series of selfies taken on a grassy lawn, were uploaded the day she disappeared.
Friends said she had been spending time with a group she had only recently met. Content creator and close friend Gabrielle Reis told Metrópoles that Nascimento had been âliving life intenselyâ and sometimes acted ânaive.â
Remembered as a Gentle, Loving Friend
Nascimento’s Instagram account is flooded with tributes. One fan wrote: “Rest in peace Jack â¤ï¸”
Another fan shared: “Very sad, thanks for everything 𢔠Another fan comment read: “Rest in peace ð¢ðð»ð︔
Best friend Gabrielle Reis, who considered herself inseparable from Nascimento, described her as a âgentle, loving girlâ who always thought of others. âShe was a good person and a true friend,â she said.
The grieving friend also revealed that many in their circle had begged Nascimento not to take the trip. âShe spent the whole week nagging us, saying, âcome on, come on.â In the end, she went anyway,â Reis shared.
âWe argued about the way she was living her life, always so intensely,â Reis said, according to Sun. âI didnât want to go because I have other goals with God.â
Despite her friendâs concerns, Nascimento decided to join the trip with the new friends she had recently met. Her official cause of death has not yet been confirmed. Born in São Paulo, Nascimento had previously worked at a jewelry and perfume shop before gaining a following as an influencer.
Nascimentoâs wake and burial are scheduled to take place at Cemitério Vila Nova Cachoeirinha in São Paulo on Friday, September 5.
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