Catholic community shocked with loss of couple in tragic balloon accident in Brazil
SÃO PAULO, Brazil – A tragic accident occurred in Praia Grande, Santa Catarina state, on Jun. 21, when a hot air balloon caught fire and fell, killing 8 among the 21 passengers, shocked a number of communities in Brazil.
The accident happened around 9:30 AM local time, when a blowtorch caused flames in the basket, which the pilot was unable to put out. As the fire spread, the balloon went down and the pilot told the passengers to jump from it, which most people managed to do.
With less weight, the balloon went up again, carrying away the passengers who weren’t able to leave the basket near the ground. The flames continued to spread and the balloon finally fell from a considerable height, estimated at 147 feet.
Located in a region of canyons, Praia Grande has been a popular hub for the practice of ballooning since 2017. According to the city government, at least 600 flights are carried out every month, and that was the first accident with casualties there.
The fatal victims included 36-year-old figure skater Leandro Luzzi; 37-year-old physician Leise Herrmann Parizotto and her mother, Leane Elizabeth Herrmann, who was 70; 34-year-old physician Andrei Gabriel de Melo; 36-year-old agricultural engineer Juliane Sawicki and her boyfriend, Fabio Izycki, who was 42; and the couple Janaina Moreira Soares da Rocha, 46, and Everaldo da Rocha, 53.
Janaina and Everaldo were active members of the parish Saint John the Baptist in the city of Joinville. They were visiting Praia Grande along with their daughter Luana, 23. She managed to jump from the basket and fell onto an area of swamps, surviving with no visible injuries.
“We celebrated a Mass during their funeral earlier today and there was a massive attendance of our community. Everybody was in shock,” Father Anderson Pitz, the vicar, told Crux.
Pitz talked to Luana and said she is in a “delicate emotional situation.”
“Losing both of your parents at the same time is not easy,” he said.
Hours after the tragedy, when the deaths of her parents hadn’t been confirmed by the authorities yet, Luana posted on social media that she was well, given that she jumped from the basket.
When their bodies were finally located, she posted a picture of her parents with her and commented: “You were everything to me! And all I had were you.”
She also mentioned that her mother was her best friend.
“She lived with them. She’ll now certainly receive support from her extended family. Janaina’s parents are still alive, and both her and Everaldo had siblings,” Pitz said.
In articles published by the Brazilian press, the couple is described as energetic. They were keen on sports and usually accompanied friends in bike rides and matches of soccer and volleyball.
Everaldo had recently retired, but was looking for a new activity because he couldn’t stand inactivity. Janaina worked at a factory of soccer jerseys, according to newspaper Folha de S. Paulo.
Pitz first met the couple 7 years ago, when he assumed the parish. They were leaders of the Encounter of Couples with Christ (ECC) ministry.
“During their tenure, they were brave enough to pursue more professionalism in the activities promoted by the ministry, aiming for larger venues and attendance. And they managed to expand things,” Pitz said.
After that, they were extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion and now headed the parish’s pastoral council.
“They had greatness of spirit. They always incentivized the community to take extra steps,” the priest recalled.
He said that he has been organizing a spiritual retreat for women over the past few years that became a huge event, with 5,000 participants.
“Everaldo and Janaina helped me to organize the past two retreats. They were the ones who understood it could be that large and encouraged me to pursue it,” he added.
That weekend, the parish was celebrating its patron saint feast day, amid the traditional June festivities in Brazil. Traditionally, those are feasts organized in open spaces in the style of US fairs, with stands with food and amusement, and music and dance.
“We couldn’t cancel it, because there were too many people involved. But we had a more low profile party, without dance and other traditional activities. The atmosphere was heavy,” Pitz said.
In his homily, the priest affirmed that Janaina and Everaldo “were made to go places.”
“That’s their legacy for us,” he concluded.