Ian Lopes Drowned in Rio Doce After Four-Day Search

Twenty‑six‑year‑old amateur footballer Ian Lopes disappeared on Sunday night when the boat he was on capsized while crossing the Rio Doce between the districts of Fernandes Tourinho and Periquito in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Six young men were in the boat; the others were rescued, but Lopes tried to swim to the opposite bank and sank.

The Minas Gerais fire department, assisted by military personnel, conducted an intensive four‑day search, using surface and underwater vessels. On Wednesday morning the body was recovered near the location indicated by local witnesses. Lopes had just won the Super Copa de Fernandes Tourinho playing left‑back for Inter Vila and left a wife and a six‑year‑old son. The tragedy prompted widespread mourning among family, friends, and the regional amateur‑football community.