Two parents celebrating their four-year-old daughter’s birthday have died in a scalding motel bathtub after a night of partying in the Dallas Motel in São José, in Brazil’s Santa Catarina state, according to The Mirror.
Jeferson Luiz Sagaz, 37, and his partner Ana Carolina Silva, 41, had spent the day marking their daughter’s birthday at a food park and drinking before heading to a nightclub.
Who were Jeferson Luiz Saga and Ana Carolina Silva?
Military police officer Jeferson and nail salon owner Ana left the child with Jeferson’s sister and checked into the Dallas Motel in São José, in Brazil’s Santa Catarina state, just after midnight on August 11. But the couple never showed up to collect their daughter the next morning, prompting concerned relatives to contact police.
After the pair were reported missing, officers found the lifeless bodies of the couple in the motel bathroom. Following examination of the hotel room, review of CCTV footage, and inspection of the couple’s vehicle, crime scene investigators determined that the husband and wife had lost consciousness in a bathtub filled with 122°F water while a space heater pumped heat into the room.
A toxicology report revealed extremely high alcohol levels and traces of cocaine, according to local news outlet Globo G1.
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Cause of death
Brazil’s Chief Medical Examiner Andressa Boer Fronza said, “The cause of both deaths was exogenous poisoning, favouring the process of heatstroke with intense dehydration, thermal collapse, culminating in organ failure and death.”
After conducting 16 forensic tests to eliminate potential causes of death such as electric shock, drowning, carbon monoxide poisoning or foul play, investigators concluded that heat was the likely cause of the couple’s demise.
The pair, who had been a couple for nearly two decades, were known by their friends as loving parents and outgoing individuals. The police reported no history of violence.
Ana Carolina’s family dismissed allegations that she was a regular drug user, sparking concerns that she might have been coerced into consuming cocaine. Chief Simão stated: “It may be that the physical constitution, both his and hers, were not compatible with the use of a substance like that, especially when combined with alcohol.”
Couple’s daughter under the care of relatives
Following the tragic turn of events during her parents’ birthday celebration for her, the couple’s daughter is now under the care of relatives.
This news follows the heartbreaking incident of a student found dead in a hot tub on her 22nd birthday.
Alexandra Săsărman was discovered lifeless in the hot tub at her family’s cabin where she was celebrating her birthday with friends, having suffered a fatal cardiac arrest.
It is speculated that her death could have been caused by the high temperature of the water.