Brazilian Influencer, 22, Found Dead After Disappearance on Jet Ski Excursion

Brazilian influencer Jaqueline Barbosa Nascimento, 22

A 22-year-old Brazilian influencer who vanished during a jet ski outing has been found dead, raising questions about the circumstances surrounding her death.

Jaqueline Barbosa Nascimento disappeared on Sunday during an excursion with friends she had met only weeks earlier at a party. Her body was recovered three days later by firefighters in the Igaratá dam near São Paulo. Her mother identified her at the scene.

Jaqueline Barbosa Nascimento, 22, went missing for three days on a jet-ski outing

Nascimento, who could not swim, had been on the jet ski with two companions. Police have registered the case as “suspicious” after finding contradictions in the statements of the two friends. Security camera footage from a nearby property is now under review.

A post-mortem examination has not yet confirmed whether drowning was the cause of death.

Nascimento’s best friend, Gabrielle Reis, revealed that the young woman had spent the week urging her to join the excursion, despite warnings from their circle of friends. “All our close friends pleaded with her not to go, since none of us could go along,” Reis said. “But she spent the whole week nagging us, saying, ‘come on, come on.’ In the end, she went anyway.”

Local firefighters recovered her body in the Igaratá dam near São Paulo, Brazil

Reis described her late friend as “naïve” and admitted they sometimes clashed over her lifestyle. “We fought because of the way she was living her life, living it so intensely. I didn’t want to go because I have other goals with God,” she said.

Nascimento, from São Paulo, had worked in a jewelry and perfume shop and as a production assistant before building a social media following of more than 12,000. Her profile read: “You need freedom to live fully.” She often shared photos of herself on boats and jet skis, embodying her adventurous persona.

“She was always such a gentle, loving girl, always thinking of others. She was a good person and a true friend,” Reis added.

Nascimento is survived by her parents and younger sister. The Igaratá dam, located in the Jaguari River reservoir, is a popular site for fishing and aquatic sports such as kayaking, but has also seen past accidents linked to water activities.