José Augusto Nogueira Ribas, a 30-year-old physician who worked in Chapecó, was found dead on Monday afternoon, November 9, inside an animal waste repository in a rural area of Xanxerê, Santa Catarina.
A Chevrolet Cruze driven by the medical professional was found nearby with signs of being stuck in the mud.
Preliminary information indicates the physician left his vehicle on foot to seek help after getting stuck. Investigators note he may have become disoriented before falling into the structure.
The Civil Police state that initial forensic evaluations found no external signs of violence or immediate indications of homicide. Authorities are currently treating accidental death as a primary working hypothesis.
Firefighters report that the waste pit measured approximately 3 meters in depth. Recovery crews had to suction and remove a volume of waste equivalent to numerous tanker trucks.
The Civil Police have opened an official inquiry to determine the exact circumstances of the fatality. Final confirmation of the cause of death awaits conclusion of forensic examinations by the Scientific Police.
Did You Know? The recovery operation required pumping out an immense volume of animal waste before emergency responders could reach the 3-meter-deep agricultural structure.
He also provided care at the city's 24-hour Emergency Care Unit.
Excelente profissional e querido colega, Guto, como era carinhosamente chamado, fez parte da equipe do Hospital Regional do Oeste, deixando sua contribuição e uma trajetória marcada pelo cuidado, profissionalismo e pelas relações construídas ao longo de sua caminhada na instituição,
stated a joint public note from the State Health Department and the Lenoir Vargas Ferreira Hospital Association.
Colleagues at the Emergency Care Unit released a separate statement honoring his memory. Profissional dedicado, era muito querido por seus pacientes e colegas, sendo reconhecido por sua humanidade, atenção e compromisso com o cuidado ao próximo,
the unit published.
The medical professional was located on the afternoon of Monday, November 9, after having been reported missing since the early morning hours of the same day.
The body was discovered inside an agricultural waste repository on a rural property located in Linha Passo Trancado, in the interior of Xanxerê, in western Santa Catarina.
He worked as a member of the medical staff at the Hospital Regional do Oeste in Chapecó starting in January 2025, and also practiced at the municipality’s 24-hour Emergency Care Unit.
What steps will authorities take next as the forensic examination proceeds?
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