A sightseeing boat capsized Tuesday during a Macuco Safari excursion on the Iguazu River inside Brazil's Iguazu National Park, prompting authorities to suspend the attraction's operations and begin an investigation. File Photo by Carlos Moreno/EPA
July 29 (UPI) -- A Dutch tourist died after a sightseeing boat capsized during a Macuco Safari excursion on the Iguazu River inside Brazil's Iguazu National Park, prompting authorities to suspend the attraction's operations and begin an investigation.
The Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation, or ICMBio, the federal agency that manages Brazil's protected areas, said eight people were aboard the vessel Tuesday-- six Dutch tourists and two crew members, the pilot and co-pilot. The agency said rescue teams responded immediately.
According to G1, citing the Paraná Fire Department, the victim drowned and suffered cardiac arrest after the boat overturned. He was rescued and taken to Padre Germano Lauck Municipal Hospital in Foz do Iguaçu, where doctors confirmed his death.
The six tourists were members of the same family, arriving in Foz do Iguaçu one day before the accident and planning to remain in the city through Thursday. Three survivors did not require medical treatment, while two others were hospitalized in stable condition. The pilot and co-pilot also received medical care and were discharged.
