Tourists reported strong winds before boat capsized on tour at Iguazu Falls, says police chief

Two Dutch tourists questioned by the Civil Police of Foz do Iguaçu (PR) on Wednesday (29) regarding the accident that killed a 25-year-old man at Macuco Safari reported that the boat had capsized after a gust of wind.

"Four went to one side, two went to the other. Each one helped themselves as best they could. It took a while for assistance to arrive, for first aid. [Then they] either made their way to the banks on their own or climbed onto another vessel," said delegate Carlos Eduardo Loro in an interview with RPC-TV, a TV Globo affiliate.

On Tuesday morning (28), two crew members (a pilot and co-pilot) were navigating a boat carrying six Dutch tourists along the Iguaçu River, in the region of Iguaçu Falls. The tour, known as Macuco Safari, is operated by the company Ilha do Sol, under a concession from ICMBio (the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation), which manages Iguaçu National Park.

Approximately ten minutes into the journey, the boat capsized and one Dutch national died. The Scientific Police of Paraná are still awaiting information from the family to officially confirm his identity.

According to Simepar (Paraná's Environmental Technology and Monitoring System), the strongest wind gust recorded on Tuesday in Foz do Iguaçu was 35.6 km/h at the Simepar station at 9:45 a.m. and 53.6 km/h at the city's airport station at 9:40 a.m. However, Simepar notes that wind is "an extremely localized data point" and "it is possible that a stronger gust occurred specifically there [on the river tour], due to the rocky formations in the area."

Another factor that influences navigation is the water flow rate. The company Ilha do Sol states that the water volume in the Iguaçu River was within the parameters that permit navigation. It also stated that the pilot and co-pilot operating the boat were experienced and trained.

Water monitoring is carried out by Copel (Paraná Energy Company) at measurement stations installed in the region. Last week, due to rainfall in the area, the tourist walkway at Iguaçu Falls was temporarily closed.

According to Urbia Cataratas, the concessionaire that manages the park, the closure of the walkway is assessed whenever the flow rate of the Iguaçu River at the falls section is around 8.5 million liters of water per second, with an upward trend.

The flow rate at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, around the time of the accident, was 4.3 million liters per second, and Macuco Safari was operating normally.

This outlet learned from a member of the Brazilian Navy that a protocol exists for suspending tours based on hydrological conditions, and that on the stretch of the Iguaçu River between the Falls and Porto Macuco, nautical tourism activities are suspended when the flow rate at the Falls drops below 800,000 liters per second or exceeds 10 million liters per second.

An administrative inquiry was opened by the Navy to investigate the circumstances, causes, and any potential liabilities. ICMBio suspended the tour for three days.

Among the group of Dutch tourists were the young man who died, his fiancée, his future in-laws, his future sister-in-law, and her boyfriend, in addition to the two crew members. The tourist group had arrived in Foz do Iguaçu on Monday (27) and was scheduled to leave the city on Thursday (30).

According to the Fire Department, the young man drowned and suffered a cardiorespiratory arrest.

He was initially attended to by the park's team, transported by boat to the Porto Seco do Kattamaram, and subsequently taken by ambulance to the Municipal Hospital of Foz do Iguaçu, where death was confirmed.

The concessionaire Ilha do Sol states that it has a "historic commitment to safety, technical rigor and sustainability at Iguaçu Falls" and that all individuals were wearing life jackets. The company informed the press on Wednesday that all seven are physically well and that it is providing assistance to the victims.

"At this time, the causes of the accident will be investigated by the competent authorities, with whom the company is fully cooperating, providing all necessary information for the investigation," the concessionaire said in a statement.

According to the park, the Macuco Trail, which includes Macuco Safari, has been operating for more than 30 years. Over that period, there was one previous serious incident involving seven deaths, in 1999. Two boats collided on September 5 of that year.