As young man who was crushed to death by a floating Christmas tree was remembered as as a churchgoer who loved music and proudly served the Brazilian military.
Vinícius Abreu, 21, was killed Monday while he and coworkers were installing the holiday structure in the Araçatiba Lagoon in Maricá, a city 37 miles east of Rio de Janeiro.
Several workers were standing on the platform when wind gusts that exceed 47 miles per hour knocked over the 183-foot-tall tree and sent it crashing into the water.
Some of the workers were able to move out of the way and could be seen diving in the lagoon.
However, Abreu and two other employees were descending from the tree and were hit hit by its columns.
Abreu was rushed to Conde Modesto Leal Hospital and was pronounced dead by the time he arrived.
His two coworkers were taken to Dr. Ernesto Che Guevara Municipal Hospital, where they were treated for bruises and later discharged.
Abreu was an only child and lived with his parents in the Rio de Janeiro town of Mesquita, his family said.
He attended a local evangelical church and played several instruments, including the piano.
Former Brazilian Army soldier Vinícius Abreu was killed by a falling metal structure that resembled a Christmas tree in Maricá, Brazil on Monday. Friends and family remembered him as a 21-year-old man who attended his local evangelical church and loved music, especially playing the piano. Two coworkers were injured in the accident
Authorities said the 183-foot-tall Christmas tree was knocked over by wind gusts that topped 47 miles per hour
Abreu was a member of the Brazilian Army before he stepped away for personal reasons.
He as studying systems analysis and was in the process of looking for a full-time job.
Raphael Motta told Brazilian news outlet UOL that he met Abreu in 2019 and had been hanging out with the same group of friends since 2021.
Abreu, Motta said, had been hired as a temporary worker by the company that was installing the Christmas tree and never expressed concerns over his safety.
'Everyone is devastated and trying to keep the faith that he is with God now,” Motta said.
'When his mother saw me with another friend of ours, she broke down,' he added. 'He was always very intelligent and had a good capacity for storing information. It is an irreparable loss.'
Abreu left the Brazilian Army due to personal reasons. He was studying systems analysis and was in the process of looking for a full-time job while working a temporary gig with the company that was contracted by the city of Maricá to install a metal floating structure that resembled a Christmas tree
The mayor of Maricá announced that they will not proceed with installing another floating Christmas tree
Abreu's burial was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.
'He was such a good boy, he didn't deserve this,' said another friend said. 'He was a young boy and a very nice guy.'
Maricá Mayor Fabiano Horta lamented dos Santos’ death and said that authorities had put out an advisory ahead of the storm that swept across the region.
'Our teams reported strong winds from the very beginning. However, the winds that hit the city exceeded 77 kilometers per hour,' Horta said in a statement.
'This is very unusual. It was a violent storm that culminated in this fatality. We are in a state of sadness and, on behalf of the city, we reaffirm our solidarity and full support for Vinícius’ family.'
The floating tree was part of the city’s Christmas exhibition and was set to be unveiled Wednesday.
However, the mayor announced that the decoration would not be raised go forward and that the company that was contracted to set it up will not be getting paid.
The tragic incident comes just a little over a week after a 19-year-old auxiliary cop was killed in a similar accident in Girardot, Colombia.
Authorities said Kevin Navas, 19, was standing near the 98-foot-tall metal structure that built to resemble a Christmas tree crushed him at Bolivar Park.
The group was able to partially lift the structure, while a multiple people used their cellphones to search for the spot when Navas was trapped.
Navas was rushed to San Rafael Dumian Clinic, where he died during the early hours of Thursday from multiple injuries.
