“Take care of your mother and pray for me”: a businessman who was swept away by floods in Brazil left a last message for his 12-year-old daughter

A businessman who died after being swept away by strong flood waters in the town of Sinimbo in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul still found the strength to send an audio message to his 12-year-old daughter asking her to take care of her mother. Carlos Wohlfarth, 41, was one of the first fatalities of the floods to hit southern Brazil’s largest state, which until this Saturday had killed at least 136 people, left another 141 missing and 441,000 homeless.

“Take care of your mother, okay? And pray for me, daughter. It’s just fortunate that the river is rising a lot, just for God’s sake.” These were the last words of the businessman before he was carried away by the raging waters that overwhelmed the river that flows near the country house where he and his entire family, who lived in the neighboring state of Santa Catarina, were staying.

When the water level rose sharply and covered the area in a matter of seconds, each member of the family tried to protect themselves in every possible way: some climbed onto the roof, and Carlos, who was outside the house, climbed a tree. He believed that the water from the current created by the river flood would not reach the top of the tree and that he would be safe there until he was rescued, but the force of the flood was so great that it uprooted the tree and dragged him down. away, taking the businessman with him.

The rest of the family, who had come to Sinimba for Carlos to be best man at his son-in-law’s wedding, survived and were rescued by helicopter on a rooftop several hours later. Carlos’ fiancé and brother-in-law managed to call several friends who own jet skis via text and they all launched a desperate search for the businessman, but his body was only found later this week, eight days after the tragic event. death, very far away.