Lightning kills guide during group tour in Rio de Janeiro

A group of tourists’ excursion along the trails leading to Pedra da Gávea, one of the main tourist attractions in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, ended in tragedy when lightning struck guide Leilson Souza, who was taking visitors to the local. Lailson, 36 and with 10 years’ experience, was rescued by a fire department helicopter but arrived dead at hospital.

Tourist Carla da Conceiço, 26, from the town of Rondonopolis, in inland Mato Grosso state, was photographing the fantastic landscape of Rio de Janeiro from the top of Pedra da Gávea when lightning struck Lailson. The group, which included tourists from different backgrounds in addition to her husband, was desperate, and Carla herself tried several times to call for help, but was so scared and nervous that she had to give her her mobile phone. a husband who managed to call for help, but nothing more could be done for Leilson.

The trip to Pedra da Gávea usually takes two hours to climb up the trails, and in some places you have to use abseil ropes, and another two hours to descend.

When the tour that Lailson led this Sunday was just starting, it started to rain, but lightly, and the guide asked the group if they wanted to go back or continue, and everyone decided to continue, especially since he explained that on days like this, there is little rain scorching sun usually follows, and it is likely that when they reached the top there were no clouds on the horizon.

That’s exactly what happened, but suddenly the rain resumed, this time accompanied by lightning, and one of them hit the guide, who moved a little away from the group to show them some points below, in the pulsating city, when a lightning strike was felt by tourists, but in in their case does not cause injury. One of Lailson’s brothers, who is training to be a tourist guide, managed to overcome the pain of losing his brother and took the group of tourists back to their hotels.