The body of a 37-year-old Brazilian man was recovered from the River Guadiana on Sunday evening, 7 June, in the Azenhas do Guadiana area of the municipality of Mértola, Alentejo, following an extensive search operation launched after he disappeared beneath the water.
Júlio César Oliveira, who had moved to Mértola only a few days earlier, was swimming at an unsupervised river beach, a popular spot frequented by both residents and visitors.
A source from the fire service told national newspaper Jornal de Notícias that the alert was raised at 12:50pm. “He got into difficulty, called for help and was pulled under by the water,” the source said. He vanished from the surface in the Azenhas do Guadiana area.
In response to the incident, the Portuguese Maritime Authority initiated a search operation coordinated by the Harbour Master and Local Commander of the Maritime Police in Vila Real de Santo António.
The operation involved crews from the Vila Real de Santo António and Tavira Lifeboat Stations, officers from the Local Maritime Police Command of Vila Real de Santo António, firefighters from the Mértola Volunteer Fire Brigade, personnel from the National Republican Guard (GNR), as well as diving teams from the Serpa and Moura Volunteer Fire Brigades.
After several hours of searching, the volunteer firefighters’ diving teams located a body submerged in the River Guadiana and recovered it from the water. All indications suggest that it was the man who had been missing since the early afternoon on Sunday.
The official verification of death will be carried out by the Regional Health Authority’s delegate. Following consultation with the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the body will be transported by the Mértola Volunteer Fire Brigade to the Baixo Alentejo Forensic Medical Unit, where the necessary legal procedures will be conducted.
The Local Maritime Police Command of Vila Real de Santo António has assumed responsibility for the investigation into the incident.
Source: Portuguese Maritime Authority
Photo credit: Teixeira Correia
