A 26-year-old mother of two died after falling from a seventh-floor window at the Rio Poty Hotel in São Luís, Brazil, early Tuesday morning. The incident occurred around 1:30 a.m., according to reports.
CCTV footage captured the moment Renata Rebeca Negrão Saldanha dos Santos was walking with her boyfriend in a hotel corridor. She leaned against the wall next to a window, and as she put her weight on it, the aluminum frame unexpectedly gave way, leading to her fall.
Her boyfriend, whose identity has not been released, was seen staring at the open window before appearing to look out. A hotel staff member approached after hearing the commotion, while the boyfriend reportedly sat down with his hands raised. Santos fell onto a canopy above the hotel's entrance. Despite receiving medical attention, she did not survive.
Police are investigating the incident as an accident. The boyfriend, who stated he had been drinking at the time, was questioned and subsequently released. Police chief George Marques noted that there were no signs of aggression and the boyfriend was not close to Santos when the window failed.
Investigators examined the window frame, but initial findings did not yield technical conclusions regarding the cause of the structural failure.
The Rio Poty Hotel issued a statement expressing condolences and solidarity with Santos's family and friends.
Santos, who was from Ananindeua, and her boyfriend had arrived in São Luís on October 28 and were scheduled to return home on Tuesday. She leaves behind two children, the youngest being four years old.
Her mother, Betty Negrão, spoke to local media about the difficulty of accepting her daughter's death. Tributes from loved ones on social media described shared memories and expressed disbelief at the loss. A crowdfunding page has been established by her family to assist in bringing her body back home.