Ana Clara Benevides, 23, died on Friday night after feeling unwell during the concert of singer Taylor Swift, who debuted her tour in Brazil at Nilton Santos stadium in Rio de Janeiro, in front of an audience of over 60,000 people.
The information was confirmed to Folha by Estela Benevides, Benevides' cousin, who received the news from the doctor who tried to revive her over the phone. The young woman was originally from Pedro Gomes, in Mato Grosso do Sul, but grew up in Sonora, in the same state. She was taken to the Salgado Filho Municipal Hospital after fainting and receiving medical attention at the stadium. The cause of death was a cardiac arrest.
In a press release, Tickets For Fun, the company responsible for the singer's shows in the country, expressed their condolences but did not comment on the issue of the temperature at the stadium. Benevides was at the front row and ended up fainting at the location. According to nurse Thiago Fernandes, 22, a friend of Benevides, she was revived 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., received medical attention, but did not survive, passing away 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 location reached 60º C and unofficially, firefighters reported a thousand faintings during the event. Fans on social media complained 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 screens at Taylor's show."
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 well now. Rest!"