Delray Beach man goes missing after being swept away by flash flood while hiking in Brazil; 2 friends saved

MIAMI (WSVN) – A South Florida man has gone missing after he and two friends he was walking with were washed away by flood waters in Brazil, prompting a desperate search.

Thirty-year-old Raul Jimenez went on vacation to the South American country with his friends Marcelo and Giselle.

During a hike in the National Park da Chapada dos Veadeiros, the water around his group began to rise, and in a matter of minutes they were waist-deep from where they could walk on rocks.

Giselle posted the video on social media.

“We are very scared right now because we have come to this waterfall, and it is,” she said, turning the camera to show the coming water. “There was almost no water there, and then all this water began to flow. It’s quite strong and deep.”

Shortly thereafter, the water was up to their shoulders and the group was swept away.

Jimenez was last seen around 13:00 on Saturday in the Alto Paraiso de Goias area.

Speaking to 7News on Sunday, Daniella Rincón, a close friend of Jiménez, said the group went hiking near Raizama Falls.

“The flash flood occurred on Saturday, January 28 at around 12:30 pm local time,” she said.

Initially, Jiménez was able to rise to higher ground, but water caused by heavy rains in the area continued to rise.

“Raoul was briefly able to find land before the water rose and he was swept away by the reverse current and was unable to grab onto anything to hold on,” Rincón said.

Rincón said Giselle and Marcelo were rescued a few hours later.

“The woman was dragged to safety and another man was able to grab on to some rocks nearby until rescuers arrived around 7:00 pm local time,” she said.

The rushing water took many tourists by surprise. The video shows the Brazilian military rescue a man who was also stranded for several hours.

Now the search for Jimenez has intensified with the help of drones, divers and even helicopters.

“We are here with the firefighters and I have a few friends here who are also in training,” Giselle said in another video. “One guy is specifically versed in this canyon, in this river, and they are coming with drones, so I am mobilizing everything I can to find Raul.”

Giselle and Marcelo believe that he is still alive. They help the military in their search.

Meanwhile, Jimenez’s family and friends in South Florida are praying and hoping for the best.

“We are absolutely devastated and we are in deep, deep prayer,” Rincón said. “We believe in the power of prayer. We are doing everything we can to find Raul alive and bring him home.”

Jimenez’s mother said she boarded a flight to Brazil on Sunday evening to see if she could help with the search.

A GoFundMe page has been created to help find Jimenez. If you would like to donate, please click here.

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