Ana Clara Benevides, 23, died on Friday (17th) night after feeling unwell during the concert of singer Taylor Swift, who debuted her tour in Brazil at the Nilton Santos stadium in Rio de Janeiro, with an audience of over 60,000 people.
The information was confirmed to Folha by Estela Benevides, Benevides' cousin, who received the news over the phone from the doctor who tried to resuscitate her. The young woman is originally from Pedro Gomes, Mato Grosso do Sul, but she grew up in Sonora, within the same state. She was sent to the Salgado Filho Municipal Hospital after fainting and being attended to at the stadium. The cause of death was cardiac arrest.
Benevides was at the front row and ended up fainting on the spot. According to nurse Thiago Fernandes, 22, a friend of Benevides, she was resuscitated at the stadium for about 40 minutes. On the way to the hospital, she had a second cardiac arrest.
Benevides arrived around 8 p.m., was attended to, but did not survive, dying shortly after at the hospital near Engenhão, in Méier, in the northern zone of the capital of Rio de Janeiro.
The heat index at the venue reached 60ºC and unofficially, firefighters counted a thousand faintings during the event. Fans complained on social media about the prohibition of bringing water bottles into the stadium, considering the intense heat.
Fernandes wrote to Folha: "I want Ana to appear on the Taylor show screens."
On his Instagram, he mourned the young woman's death. "I simply can't believe you're not here anymore. I can't accept it," he wrote. "We talked about this show so many times, and how I wanted to be with you. I'm so sad I don't know what to do. You were one of my oldest friends. For so long, and from now on, only in memories! I hope you're okay now. Rest!"
According to Benevides' social media profile, she was studying psychology at the Federal University of Rondonópolis (UFR) in Mato Grosso. The university's athletic department, where she served as a director, also posted a message mourning her death.
"Our sincere condolences to the family and friends in this difficult time. May they find comfort in the memories and love she left as a legacy," the post says.
In her last posts, she was counting down to, as she said, live her dream of attending a Taylor Swift concert.
During the night, firefighters reported that around a thousand fans fainted in the heat that plagued the city during the arrival of her "Eras Tour," while excited fans did not let themselves be discouraged to see the American singer up close.
According to the brigade of firefighters present at the concert, people who also vomited due to the high temperature were assisted, which caused severe dehydration among those present.
Poor weather conditions also affected a Swift concert in Argentina, where she was before coming to Brazil. Due to a strong storm, the show scheduled for November 10 ended up happening on Sunday (12th).