KUALA LUMPUR: Two influencers drowned off the Brazilian coast after allegedly refusing to wear life jackets on a speedboat so as not to affect their tan and photos.
The New York Post reported that Aline Tamara Moreira de Amorim, 37, and Beatriz Tavares da Silva Faria, 27, ignored reminders to wear life preservers when they boarded a crowded speedboat.
The boat capsized in turbulent waters along the Iguazu River, near the area known as the Devil's Throat.
"Some didn't want to put them on because they were taking selfies. They said that they get in the way of their tanning," said Sao Vincente police commissioner Marcos Alexandra Alfino, based on accounts from the boat's captain.
The two victims and four other influencers had attended a yacht party off the coast of Sao Paulo on Sept 29.
According to local reports, the speedboat's captain was pressured to accommodate six passengers despite the boat's capacity of only five.
The reports said the captain struggled against rough waves, which ultimately swamped the vessel and threw everyone overboard.
Faria's body was recovered by Brazil's maritime firefighters after drifting out to sea. Amorim's body washed up on Itaquitanduva Beach a week later.
Moments before the incident, Amorim had posted images of herself on the luxury yacht.
"All this is being determined very calmly to conclude if the fatalities were based on recklessness or negligence," Alfino said, according to local outlets.
One of the survivors, Vanessa Audrey da Silva, recalled the panic as she clung to a rock after managing to put on a lifejacket.
"There was a moment in the water when no one could see anyone. I was fighting for my life."