Young mum dies after passing out in hot tub and waking up to skin peeling off
A young mum died with agonising third-degree burns after she fell asleep in a scalding hot tub and woke up to find her skin peeling off.
Mum-of-one Gabriele Cristine Barreto de Freitas, 24, had been at the motel in Curitiba, in the Brazilian state of Parana, with a man she had met at a party. When they got to the room, they turned on the hot tub and jumped in for a soak. But when her partner got out to go to bed, Gabriele stayed behind, apparently hitting her head and passing out, reports local media. She awoke with the water still steaming and her skin gruesomely peeling away from severe burns.
Harrowing images and video footage from an intensive care unit where she was rushed to on May 25 show her whole body covered in bandages. Some hard-to-look at images show hand-sized strips of skin hanging from her face.
Gabriele's family said she seemed to be recovering, but just six days later, local media reported on 5th June, she suffered a massive cardiac arrest. Her sister, Jenifer Vaniele Barreto, explained: "They arrived at the motel and he turned on the tub to a hot temperature.
"The two went to shower, took a bath and he left first and went to bed. He heard her fall and slip in the tub." She added: "We don't understand how Gabriele's death happened. No one gave us any answers, they just said she had a cardiac arrest and died, that's all."
The police at the Curitiba Homicide Division have opened an investigation into the baffling death. The man she went with to the motel has not yet been interviewed by the police, according to local media reports.
But the family's lawyer Valter Ribeiro Junior says they are demanding tests on the hot tub's thermostat to see if it was faulty. He said: "It is unacceptable that someone goes to a motel for leisure and leaves burnt to the point of dying days later.
"If it happened to her, it's probably going to happen to other people. It is possible that the equipment is not up to date and may have caused these burns."
Gabriele leaves behind a five-year-old son, now being cared for by her mother.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
8 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Graham Potter gives update on Lucas Paqueta's future as betting charges dropped
West Ham and Brazil star Lucas Paqueta has been cleared of allegations of breaching the FA's betting rules and Hammers boss Graham Potter has broken his silence on the midfielder's future West Ham boss Graham Potter believes Lucas Paqueta remains committed to the Hammers in the aftermath of his betting charges being cleared. The Brazilian midfielder was charged with allegedly breaching FA rule E5 in 2023. He was accused of spot-fixing matches by getting booked. But he has since been proven innocent following a lengthy investigation. During the process, the former Lyon midfielder was linked with a move away from the London Stadium - Brazilian side Flamengo having emerged as potential suitors for Paqueta. Asked about the 27-year-old's future, Potter did not rule a move out entirely but believes that the midfielder remains committed to West Ham. He said: "You never know for sure because anything can happen in the window with anybody. But the news is incredibly positive. If it had gone the other way, there would have been a whole other line of questions. "Lucas is happy and committed. He is an important person in dressing room and at the club and we love him. We just want to help him enjoy his football. "You can imagine on a personal level for him, having to fight those allegations was an incredible challenge for him. It has been a really tough period in his life and career. It is a credit to him and his family and everyone who has supported him that he has come through." Paqueta issued a statement in the aftermath of the FA's decision. He wrote: 'Since the first day of this investigation, I have maintained my innocence against these extremely serious accusations. 'I can't say anything more at this time, but I would like to express how grateful I am to God and how eager I am to return to playing football with a smile on my face. To my wife who never let go of my hand, to West Ham United, to the fans who always cheered me on, and to my family, friends and the legal team who have supported me – thank you for everything.' Paqueta was signed from French side Lyon back in 2022 for a fee of around £51m. Since then, he has made 120 appearances for the London outfit, scoring 18 goals, while he also helped the Hammers win the Europa Conference League in 2023. He still has two years remaining on his contract with West Ham with the option for a further year. Paqueta was strongly linked with a big-money move to Manchester City in 2023 but saw a move shelved. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
Lucas Paqueta's lawyer claims gambling charges cost West Ham star Premier League medal
West Ham star Lucas Paqueta has been cleared of betting breaches after a two-year investigation by the Football Association and his lawyer has now spoken out about the situation Lucas Paqueta may have cleared his name over the gambling charges that have hung over him for the last two years - but the man who led the Brazilian's legal defence believes the episode has cost him a Premier League medal. Paqueta, 27, was on the brink of an £85million move from West Ham to Manchester City when it emerged that he was being investigated by the FA over suspicions that he had deliberately got himself booked in four different games as part of a spot-fixing sting. An independent commission ruled during the week that the FA had failed to prove their case - although two charges claiming that the midfielder failed to cooperate with the process were upheld. Now Alastair Campbell, a partner at the law firm Level, has revealed how the case has taken a heavy toll on Paqueta - despite the positive outcome. Campbell said: 'Lucas' life has basically been on hold for the last two years. 'He woke up every morning with the fear that this could be the day when his career was going to be over. Of course, Lucas is delighted with the outcome of the commission - but what shouldn't be forgotten is that there is an alternative universe where he moves to Manchester City and now has a Premier League winner's medal. 'The strain he has been under since the charges were announced in August 2023 has been incredible. That's something that shouldn't be forgotten in all of this. This case has come at a considerable cost to Lucas, both as a person and as a professional footballer.' Paqueta's legal team are now awaiting the commission's written findings before whether to appeal against the decision that he failed to give investigators the required help. There have also been suggestions that he could now sue the FA for damages. Campbell, however, accepts that the FA has a duty to make sure that the game they govern is clean. He said: 'I've seen suggestions that it's embarrassing for the FA, but I don't agree with that because their role as a regulator means they have to bring charges if they feel there's a case to answer. 'Lucas has now answered those charges and I am sure the FA's legal team will take some valuable lessons from this because that's what good lawyers do. The integrity of sport is paramount. 'We have to believe that what we are seeing on the pitch is genuine, so all governing bodies must monitor this kind of thing. The charges brought against Lucas were incredibly serious and that brings a requirement for real care to be taken. 'The sheer scale of evidence and information from both sides has been massive. That's why this has taken two years.' Campbell added: 'Lucas was very emotional when I told him about the decision. 'To have this weighing on his shoulders, knowing all along that he didn't do what he had been accused of, was unbearable at times. For him to still be able to play in front of 10s of thousands of people once or twice a week is remarkable. 'Given that mental strength, I think he will get past this issue pretty quickly and get back to being the fantastic player he is.'
The Independent
2 days ago
- The Independent
What FA statement really tells us about Lucas Paqueta's ‘nightmare' betting case
The headline rather downplayed the significance of the news. ' Lucas Paqueta update' was found on the FA website, a story ranked below 'New clubs ready for FA Cup debuts'. Update? It could have been the end, given the existential threat to the Brazilian's career. Indeed, until news broke last Friday that he was likely to be cleared, the expectation was that a lengthy – perhaps even lifetime – ban beckoned. The FA's language was rather dry; it was also different to Paqueta's. The governing body described the allegations – that the West Ham midfielder had got booked deliberately in four different games, in instances of spot-fixing to influence the betting markets – as 'not proven' rather than declaring him not guilty. They also said the regulatory commission had proved two breaches of Rule F3, relating to a failure to answer questions and provide information. A punishment will be determined in the future. Paqueta, meanwhile, was more emphatic and emotional. 'Since the first day of this investigation, I have maintained my innocence against these extremely serious allegations,' he said in a social-media post. After two years in limbo, he could be forgiven for declaring victory. In the wait for the written reasons, and further explanations surrounding three cautions in the 2022/23 season and one at the start of the 2023/24 campaign, some things can be said. It has been a long and damaging saga, for Paqueta personally and West Ham. His tears when booked against Tottenham in May were indicative of the toll it took. He has played under suspicion and under pressure. It is understandable that a hugely gifted player's performances have been mixed. He was better in 2023/24 than last season. Remarkably, he completed it without a Premier League assist, even if that was partly a consequence of teammates' faulty finishing. It would be wrong to trace West Ham's dismal campaign purely to Paqueta – not among a poor choice of manager, director of football and signings – but it scarcely helped. Before he was charged, Paqueta supplied the defence-splitting pass for Jarrod Bowen's winner in the 2023 Conference League final to secure West Ham's first trophy since 1980. After it, they had the hugely accomplished trio of Bowen, Paqueta and Mohammed Kudus for two seasons: the first was underwhelming, the second egregious underachievement, so it amounts to a missed opportunity. Now Kudus is gone. Paqueta could have been, two years ago, when it seemed he was bound for Manchester City in an £85m deal. When the FA started to investigate Paqueta, City swiftly switched targets. It arguably came at a cost to everyone: Paqueta, 25 then, is 27 now and West Ham will never get £85m for him. Given some of their misadventures in the transfer market, some may say it would scarcely have benefited them if they did, but their budget seems smaller now. Paqueta missed the chance to join the champions, potentially win the title that year, and perhaps take over from Kevin De Bruyne as the creator in chief. He could look from afar at City's rebuild, see Tijjani Reijnders and Rayan Cherki bought – the latter from his old club Lyon – to form part of the new midfield, wonder if it would have been him and reflect his chance had disappeared. This was a fork in the road in his career. City, meanwhile, scarcely found a like-for-like replacement. They signed the undistinguished Matheus Nunes who, Pep Guardiola later concluded, could not play in midfield in his team. It is safe to assume that Paqueta would not have spent swathes of the last year playing right back, as Nunes has. Now there are suggestions Paqueta could rejoin Flamengo, flush with their funds from the Club World Cup, if not £85m of them. It is easy to understand why home could have an appeal after the last two years. There is talk, too, of potential legal action, though even if Paqueta and West Ham have a case, that would bring no immediate return nor rewind time. Yet it is also worth remembering that the FA have a duty to investigate credible allegations, even if the bets in question seemed so small that no one was likely to make a fortune. It may hardly have helped his cause that some of the wagers came from Paqueta island in Brazil. Sometimes, too, such things do take time, even if not necessarily two years. It was, the lawyers Blackstone Chambers claimed, the longest case in FA history. This would appear to be one with no winners, with the possible exception of the successful QC Nick de Marco, and certainly not the FA. But Paqueta threatened to be the biggest loser and, after 'living through this nightmare for two years', as his wife put it on Instagram, at least he can play on.
