A bride has been left devastated after her groom and his best man drowned on the couple’s honeymoon.
Júlio Augusto de Almeida Pereira and his partner tied the knot on 17 May, as reported by Need To Know.
Júlio’s best man, Jean Paulo da Silva Almeida, took the couple on their honeymoon on 18 May, along with another friend.
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But tragedy struck on Wednesday (21 May), when the four were swimming off a private beach without a lifeguard.
They had swum far out to reach a calmer spot beyond where the waves were breaking.
It was just after deciding to turn back – after realising they could no longer touch the bottom – that Jean, 30, ran into trouble.
After spotting Jean struggling, Júlio, 25, swam over to help him but quickly found himself in difficulty, too.
Júlio’s wife and their other friend managed to make it back to Iporanga Beach in Guarujá, Brazil.
They alerted other beachgoers, who went into the sea and managed to pull Júlio and Jean back to the shore.
Paramedics were called to the scene and tried to resuscitate them, but tragically, they were unable to save their lives.
Júlio’s wife’s sister, Juliana Calheiros, told local media: “They were always together, everywhere, all the time.
“They were like brothers. In fact, Júlio’s mum saw Jean as one of her own, she had lost two sons.”
Juliana, 35, added: “Jean paid for the trip. They were incredibly close, it was his gift to them.
“We’re devastated. Everyone’s in shock because it was such a tragic loss. It’s been really hard for all of us.”
Júlio and his partner had been together for three years before tying the knot.
He worked at a logistics firm and was also studying theology.
He and Jean were youth leaders at the same Baptist church in their town, Apiaí, where Júlio was also a regular in football and futsal tournaments.
Just hours before drowning, he had posted the Bible verse: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Jean worked in digital marketing and was popular on Instagram, boasting more than 13,000 followers.
He and Júlio were laid to rest in Apiaí on Friday (23 May).
The police are investigating their deaths.
