A Brazilian police officer and his wife died of heatstroke after getting into an overheated bathtub while under the influence of alcohol and cocaine, following a night of celebrations for their young daughter’s birthday, as per reports.
A detailed account of the incident
According to reports, military police officer Jeferson Luiz Sagaz (37) and his wife Ana Carolina Silva (41) a nail salon owner, were found dead inside a motel room in the state of Santa Catarina on the night of August 11, according to G1 Globo. The couple had reportedly spent the day marking their four-year-old daughter’s birthday, consuming alcohol and cocaine before going to a nightclub and checking into the Dallas Motel around midnight.
Family members reportedly raised the alarm when the pair failed to collect their daughter the following day. Toxicology reports later revealed high levels of alcohol and traces of cocaine in their systems.
Here's what police investigation revealed:
Speaking to G1 Globo, Dr Fernando Oliva da Fonseca, Director of Forensic Medicine for the Scientific Police, explained that the combination of drugs and alcohol likely impaired their ability to respond to the heat.
“The use of cocaine, which in doses alone could cause torpor, drowsiness and even coma, combined with alcohol... increases the (risk) factor. That’s exactly what may have happened. The person goes into torpor at that temperature and doesn’t feel it or have a defence reaction," he said, as quoted by The New York Post.
Officials ruled out carbon monoxide poisoning, drowning and electric shock, and found no evidence of third-party involvement, according to Police Chief Felipe Simao Gomes. The Civil Police concluded the deaths were sudden and accidental.
Carolina’s family, however, claimed she was not a drug user and suggested she may have been forced to consume the substances. Police said the couple had been together for nearly two decades with no history of violence.
In a tribute, Carolina’s nail salon described her as "a mother, a boss, a daughter, a wife, (and) an exceptional woman."
