A hotel is under investigation after a mother and her 11-year-old son were fatally electrocuted in its pool.
Luciana Klein Helfstein and Arthur Klein Helfstein Alves were found at the bottom of the pool on Sunday (4 Jan) while on holiday with Luciana’s partner.
The boyfriend, whose name has not been released, told police they had noticed the electric shower in their room wasn’t working.
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While he went to reception to report the issue, Luciana, 39, and Arthur went to the pool.
When they did not return, he went to check on them and found them unconscious at the bottom of the pool.
He jumped in to try to rescue them and once they were pulled out, he and other guests attempted resuscitation.
Firefighters took the pair to a local urgent care centre, where their deaths were confirmed, as reported by Need To Know.
It was initially thought they had drowned, as neither was a strong swimmer, but a post-mortem confirmed they had been electrocuted.
An electrical engineering specialist has meanwhile been to inspect the luxury guesthouse as part of the investigation, with the report expected in the coming days.
The hotel has said it is cooperating with authorities, describing Luciana’s and Arthur’s deaths as a “tragic accident”.
The victims had travelled from their home in São Paulo to the Pousada Almaré hotel in Maragogi, on Brazil’s coast.
The daughter of humble farmers, Luciana began helping to support her family at a young age, working at the market and on the farm.
As an adult, she worked as a rideshare driver, organising her day around her son. She lived with one of her sisters.
A family friend, who asked to remain anonymous, told local media: “Luciana was always happy. I never saw her sad. She was always joking and laughing. The sisters lived together and were very close.”
Luciana is survived by 11 siblings and her parents.
The bodies arrived in São Paulo on Tuesday (6 Jan) and were laid to rest the following day.
Luciana’s sister, Karyna Klein Helfstein, added: “We got the news so quickly. Everyone was completely shocked, not knowing what to do or even how to process it. We’re all very shaken. It’s so sad. It’s been really hard.”
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