National rescue mission underway in Brazil to find South Florida man lost in floodwaters
A South Florida man is missing after he was carried away by floodwaters in Brazil while hiking with friends Saturday, his family and friends said. Now, the country’s government and military are conducting a national search to find him.
Around 1 p.m., Raul Jiménez was hiking with his friends at the Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Veadeiros in Goiás, Brazil, a search-and-rescue GoFundMe campaign read.
Within minutes, waters around the group rose from below the ankle to waist- deep. As water water rose to shoulder-deep, Raul was swept away.
The fire department in the area said that a 30-year-old American tourist from Miami and four other people were caught in the sudden increase in water near the Raizama waterfall, according to Folha de S.Paulo, a Brazilian newspaper.
Three tourists reached a river bank and took shelter, while a fourth was stranded on a rock for about six hours before being rescued.
However, the 30-year-old from Miami — who was not identified by authorities but believed to be Jiménez — was still missing.
By Monday, the search for Jiménez had become a national rescue mission that included firefighters, search dogs, drones and air support,according to the GoFundMe created by his friends and family.
“Raul’s friends and family are in deep prayer,” it read. “We are doing everything that we can to find Raul alive and to have him come home.”
The campaign has raised $31,794 of its $250,000 goal on Monday.
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