TWO four-year-old siblings died drowning side by side in a swimming pool during a family holiday celebration despite frantic rescue attempts.
The children were pulled from the water by desperate relatives and a passer-by, but despite frantic rescue attempts, both died.
The children, identified as Yasmin de Morais Brito, four, and Gael da Silva, four, were half-siblings on their father’s side and had been attending the celebration with their extended family.
The tragedy unfolded on December 20 in the city of Dracena, in the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, where relatives had come together for what was meant to be a joyful family reunion.
According to a police report, the property had been rented specifically for the occasion, with family members gathering to mark the holidays together at the countryside home.
During the get-together, the children were playing around the pool area, which formed part of the rented property.
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At some point, Yasmin and Gael entered the water and moments later the situation turned fatal.
A relative suddenly noticed both children in distress in the pool and realised they were drowning.
The family member began shouting desperately for help, sparking panic among those present at the gathering.
The screams were so urgent they were heard by a local resident who was passing nearby outside the property.
Hearing the cries, the man rushed onto the premises to help.
He joined relatives in pulling the children from the water as the situation rapidly escalated.
The resident immediately began resuscitation manoeuvres on one of the children while other family members desperately attempted to get further assistance.
With the children unresponsive, relatives made the frantic decision to rush them to hospital themselves.
They placed the children into a private vehicle and set off in a desperate race against time.
During the journey, the family encountered a fire brigade vehicle.
Emergency crews took over the situation and assumed responsibility for the rescue effort.
Despite the combined attempts of relatives and trained responders, both children could not be saved.
Their deaths were later confirmed at the Municipal Emergency Care Unit in Dracena.
At the time of the incident, the siblings were being cared for by Yasmin’s mother, who is also Gael’s stepmother.
In the aftermath of the tragedy, a video shared on Yasmin’s Instagram profile – which is run by her mother – has drawn renewed attention.
The footage shows Yasmin and Gael together during last year’s Christmas celebrations.
In the clip, the siblings are dressed in matching red outfits, appearing happy and close as they pose side by side.
Brazil’s Civil Police have since opened an investigation into the drownings.
Officers are working to establish the exact circumstances surrounding how the children entered the pool and the moments leading up to the tragedy.
The bodies of both children were taken to the Institute of Legal Medicine, where post-mortem examinations will be carried out.
The siblings were buried the following day.
They were laid to rest in the nearby town of Panorama.