The family of a missing British journalist was wrongly told by Brazilian authorities his body had been found.
Dom Phillips, 57, who grew up in Bebington, Wirral, and his travelling partner Bruno Pereira, 41, went missing in a remote part of the Amazon last week with the family informed their bodies had been found tied to trees in the rainforest. Mr Phillips' family received a call on June 13 to notify them of the discovery but officials only suspected the bodies belonged to the missing men and never confirmed identities.
And the journalist's brother-in-law Paul Sherwood confirmed yesterday ambassador Fred Arruda had written to the family to say the statement was incorrect. The Guardian reported Mr Arruda said: "We are deeply sorry the embassy passed on to the family information that did not prove correct."
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He said the embassy had been “misled” by information it had received from “investigating officials”. Mr Arruda added: “The search operation will go on, with no efforts being spared. Our thoughts remain with Dom, Bruno, yourselves and the other members of both families.”
Brazilian police have arrested a second suspect over the disappearance of the two men. Officers said the suspect, Oseney da Costa de Oliveira, 41, was the brother of the first suspect arrested.
Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira, 41, also known as Pelado, has been named as a suspect in the disappearance but arrested for allegedly carrying a firearm without a permit. He is thought to have been among a group of men who threatened the missing men near an indigenous territory on June 4.
Personal items belonging to the missing men were discovered in a river on Sunday. A statement said the objects included a backpack and a pair of boots belonging to Mr Phillips, as well as a health card, black trousers, a black sandal and a pair of boots belonging to Mr Pereira.
Mr Phillips, a journalist for the Guardian, and Brazilian indigenous expert Mr Pereira vanished from a remote part of the Amazon last week and were last seen early on June 5.
On Saturday, separate reports emerged that police had discovered human matter in the Itaquai River, near Atalaia do Norte’s port. Authorities previously said blood found on Pelado’s boat had been sent for analysis.
A GoFundMe set up by friends of the men neared £31,000 early on Wednesday morning.
