Influencer posts haunting final photo minutes before he's killed in head-on jet ski crash

An who was killed in a head-on collision with a jet ski posted a haunting photograph minutes before the tragedy.

João Chagas was riding one of the water bikes when it hit another of the vehicles out on the water near a marina in São Vicente, , last week. The 22-year-old suffered serious injuries in the crash, including to his skull, spine and chest. He went into cardiac arrest and was rushed to hospital where he died, according to the city of Sao Vicente in a statement.

Minutes before the incident, he shared a photograph on his stories to his thousands of followers, of him holding a champagne flute overlooking a sunset. Shortly after that, he posted an image of himself riding the jet ski he later crashed on.

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Chagas, who was also a DJ and event producer, collided with Sinair Carneiro de Amorim. The 44-year-old told police he was returning to land when the influencer's jet ski collided head-on with his.

Publicist and DJ Luciana Batista, better known as Lu Beatz, 35, told local media she met Joao Vitor at a martial arts academy when he was aged seven. They began working together in 2021, producing events and content for social media.

She said: "He never let me down, he always found a solution for everything. He was very good at what he did. Joao was pure entertainment.

“He knew a lot of people and drew the crowd. People really liked him.”

A witness reportedly told the police the victim had drank alcohol before the accident and had been riding the jet ski at a high speed.

The authorities have opened an investigation for manslaughter.

The influencer, who had lost an account with 65,000 followers on Instagram seven months ago, had recreated his profile. He regularly shared his work routine and images of himself relaxing with friends.