Grandfather mourns the death of his grandchildren in a storm in RS

The death of his two grandchildren left rural producer João Rodrigues without words to define his own pain. Teenager Joziane, 13, and boy Juliano, 4, were in a car carried by the current during a storm in Caxias do Sul, Serra do RS, on Monday (21).

The victims' mother was driving the vehicle and, until the publication of this report, she had not been found. In total, the state recorded four deaths as a result of heavy rains.

A widower, Rodrigues says that the children occupied the center of his life and that, since receiving the news, he has had difficulty finding the strength to move on.

"They were everything in my life. I lived for these children. My life was for these children."

When remembering his grandchildren, Rodrigues defines the children as loving and polite, who maintained a close relationship with their family.

“Two little angels,” comments the grandfather.

Juliano César da Silva Rodrigues, Eliane Nunes da Silva and Joziane da Silva Rodrigues — Photo: Personal archive

He reports that, at first, he did not believe that his grandchildren had died. The hope that they had managed to save themselves remained for much of the day. "I thought they might have fallen into the water, but they had been saved," he says.

The scale of the tragedy only became real to him as the hours passed and the children continued to be missing. Joziane was located on Monday (21). Juliano was found this Tuesday (22).

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The victims of the storm

Édson Luís da Silva, 46 years old: died after being carried away by currents while trying to unblock a pipe;

Juliano César da Silva Rodrigues, 4 years old: died after the car he was in with his 13-year-old sister and mother was swept away by the current, in Caxias do Sul;

Joziane da Silva Rodrigues, 13 years old: Juliano's sister, was also in the car in Caxias do Sul;

Jerson Dias Pereira, 70 years old: died in Pelotas after being hit by wires lying in the street.

Also in Caxias do Sul, in Serra Gaúcha, the body of a 46-year-old man was found who was carried away by the current while trying to unblock a pipe. He was identified as Édson Luís da Silva, aged 46.

According to the Military Fire Department, the body was located around 9:30 am approximately 300 meters inside a storm drain.

Family followed the search for the body of Édson Luís da Silva, aged 46, found this Tuesday (22), in Caxias do Sul — Photo: Personal archive and Neimar De Cesero/Agência RBS

In Pelotas, in the south of Rio Grande do Sul, a 70-year-old man died after being hit by wires lying in the street. According to the police report, he was driving a motorcycle when he fell with his hands on his neck. He was identified as Jerson Dias Pereira.

According to residents, the wires that were on the road fell due to the force of the wind from the storm that hit the region in the early hours of the morning. The accident happened around 6:30 am this Monday (21). He was rescued by residents, but died before the Mobile Emergency Care Service (Samu) ambulance arrived at the scene.

Jerson Dias Pereira. dead after being hit by wires lying on the street in Pelotas — Photo: Personal archive

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