Killer Piranhas: Brazilian Man Dies After Boat Crashed in Piranha-Infested Amazon River

A Brazilian man who was killed in a boat that crashed in the piranha-infested Amazon River was thought to have perished from bites of killer piranhas.

Killer Piranhas and a Boat Crash in the Amazon River

When the incident occurred, Joney Jose Silva da Luz, 38, was operating a boat on the Cuiabá River in Baro do Melgaço, Brazil. The morning after, his body was found.

Five persons were on board when two ships collided. Silva da Luz was among the three passengers who were saved alive. The other two were still unaccounted for. His body was discovered in the river with several bite marks from a school of piranhas.

Around 6 PM on Saturday, Silva da Luz's body was found in Barão de Melgaço, Brazil's Cuiabá River.

He was pulled from the water and his ravaged remains were loaded onto one of the rescue boats. One of the three survivors was the wife of Silva da Luz. Wagner Silva, a passenger on the other boat, is still unaccounted for and is believed to have perished.

The Brazilian Navy claimed that as soon as they were informed of the mishap, they dispatched a search and rescue crew to the area.

An administrative investigation has been started to determine the incident's cause, circumstances, and culpability, according to a spokeswoman.

Divers are still looking for Wagner's body as of September 12.

As the inquiry continues, the authorities have placed restrictions on access to the area.

Risking a Jump in Piranha-Infested Waters

A man was eaten by piranhas in November 2021 after he dove into a lake to get away from a swarm of bees. The 30-year-old and two buddies were fishing at the edge of a lake in Brazil when they came under attack by the insects.

All three of them dove into piranha-infested water, but one of them drowned after being unable to escape. After rescuing it from the beach at a depth of about 13 feet, specialized divers discovered that his face, his ears, and some of his body had lacerations from the killer fish.

The lakes and rivers of South America are estimated to be home to about 30 different kinds of piranhas. The enormous jaw muscles that are tightly connected to the tip of the jaw give them one of the strongest bites among bony fishes.

It is believed that swimming close to fishermen increases the chance of attacks because of the commotion created by the thrashing fish and the bait in the water. In a man-made lake close to the city of Palmas in central Brazil, there were reported close to 200 piranha assaults in the first half of 2007, all of which involved single bites to the foot.

In 2003, a study delved into piranha bite incidents, driven by tales of ferocious piranha attacks on humans. However, scientific evidence supporting such behavior was scarce back then. The few documented cases of humans bitten and eaten by piranhas occurred post-mortem due to causes like heart failure and drowning. Nevertheless, these predatory fish occasionally inflict injuries on bathers and swimmers, usually involving a single defensive bite.