Girl who fell into a canyon in Rio Grande do Sul found dead after 10 hours of searching.
An 11-year-old child with autism fell from a height of 70 meters in the Fortaleza Canyon.
247 - A tragedy shook the municipality of Cambará do Sul, in the Serra Gaúcha region, this Thursday (10). An 11-year-old girl, who had fallen from the top of the Fortaleza Canyon during a family outing, was found dead after more than ten hours of intense searches. The information was confirmed by the Rio Grande do Sul Fire Department and released by CNN Brazil.
According to the authorities, the child's body was located around 17:30 PM with the help of a drone equipped with a thermal camera. However, the retrieval was only completed at 22:55 PM due to the difficult access to the area, which required rappelling techniques. The girl fell from a height of approximately 70 meters.
Originally from Curitiba (PR), she was visiting the park with her parents and two siblings. According to the Secretary of Tourism of Cambará do Sul, Andrews Mohr, at the time of the accident, the family had stopped for a snack on a rest bench. As reported by the firefighters, the girl, diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), ran towards the cliff. Her father tried to hold her, but couldn't reach her in time.
The rescue operation mobilized firefighters from three cities — Cambará do Sul, Canela, and Gramado — as well as teams from SAMU (Mobile Emergency Care Service), the Civil Police, and the Military Brigade. Three aircraft were also used, two from Rio Grande do Sul and one from Santa Catarina.
The Fire Department reported that the area was immediately isolated and the rescue operation began as soon as the victim was located. In a statement, the department expressed its condolences for the child's death.
"The Military Fire Department of Rio Grande do Sul expresses its deepest sorrow at the tragic loss of a child, victim of a fall in a canyon area, this Thursday (10). In this moment of mourning and consternation, we stand in solidarity with the family, friends and the entire community affected by this irreparable loss. May they find in faith the strength to overcome the pain of absence. To the family, our most sincere tribute, respect and solidarity."
The accident occurred in Fortaleza Canyon, the largest in Brazil in terms of length and depth. At 900 meters high and 7,5 km long, it is located within the Serra Geral National Park, about 23 km from the center of Cambará do Sul. The area, very popular with tourists, offers trails of varying difficulty levels, such as the Parking Trail and the Viewpoint Trail, which reveal breathtaking landscapes of the mountains, the Rio Grande do Sul coast, and the Santa Catarina plains.
The tragedy reignites concerns about the risks in high-altitude natural areas, especially for visitors with specific needs. To date, no information has been released regarding changes to the park's safety regulations.