Pilot who survived being stranded in Amazon for 13 days killed in second plane crash

Last year, a miracle story was shared following the disappearance of a pilot in the Amazon rainforest after his plane crashed into some trees.

Otavio Augusto Munhoz da Silva miraculously survived a whole 13 days stranded on his own.

But he has now tragically died in a second Amazon plane crash.

This not-as-lucky incident happened on Monday 28 August near the border of Venezuela.

According to authorities, the 38-year-old crashed in the city of Pacaraima, in a forested area.

Munhoz da Silva was a private pilot and the aircraft crashed in Mucajaí, Roraima, northern Brazil.

G1 reports that his sister reported him missing on Friday, 1 September.

And after a large search effort was launched, Jam Press reports his body was found on the same day authorities were alerted.

Jam Press

The pilot’s cousin, Alexandre Munhoz, told local media the man's body was underwater for a long five days before he was found dead.

It’s also said that his mother is now ‘suffering a lot’ as she processes the sudden loss of her son.

A private pilot, Munhoz da Silva’s family says he worked a lot with air taxis, ferrying around passengers in the region of Boa Vista.

This tragic death comes only a year after he crashed his plane in September 2022.

CNN Brazil reported he had been piloting a private jet when the vessel overheated and the engine stopped working.

Munhoz da Silva then attempted to land his aircraft in a nearby river but ended up stuck in the canopy of a tree.

The pilot spent a long 13 days walking through the dense forest before being found.

Jam Press

Getting to the end of his tether with the crazy ordeal, he luckily found a jungle river and traced its course when a passing vessel spotted him on 27 September.

His aircraft was found two days after.

At the time, his mother was confident he ‘could survive’ and said: “I knew he would resist because he used to carry a bag with medicine and food.

“But prayers sustained my son. I don’t even know how many people prayed for him. I’m relieved, very happy with this news.”

Once he had recovered from the crash, Munhoz da Silva returned to the air and continued with his work – leading to his death.

The pilot is set to be buried in his hometown of Londrina, Paraná.

The Civil Police have opened an investigation into this year’s fatal incident.

Topics: World News, News, Travel

Jess Battison

Jess is an Entertainment Journalist with a love of all things pop culture. Her main interests include keeping up with the Twitter girlies, waiting for a new series of The Traitors and losing her voice at a Beyoncé concert. She graduated with a first in Journalism from City, University of London in 2021 and has previously worked at MyLondon.

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