Resident reports heroic efforts to rescue people amid rain in RS

The heavy rains that hit Rio Grande do Sul left many residents without communication and having difficulty accessing the affected areas due to blocked roads. Andrei Bellé, resident of Bento Gonçalves, spoke to CNN about the drama experienced by his family and the local community.

Bellé reported that he was incommunicado for two days with his father, who lives in a mountainous region of Pinto Bandeira, a municipality neighboring Bento Gonçalves. The rural area suffered from landslides and a warning was issued for the collapse of a nearby dam.

Heroic rescue efforts

Faced with the imminent risk, Bellé and other people in the region joined together in a voluntary effort to rescue family members and neighbors. He said that people risked their lives to save strangers, opening improvised trails in the bush and using 4×4 vehicles and quad bikes.

“We saw people risking their lives, especially people here in the region who have 4×4 vehicles, jeeps, who have quad bikes, it’s one thing to risk your life to save a family member, we were taking risks, there were people risking their lives to save strangers”, he says emotionally.

Impact on the local economy

In addition to the human drama, the rains also caused significant damage to the local economy, especially viticulture, the region's main activity. Bellé, who works in oenology, said several properties lost part of their vineyards due to landslides on the slopes.

“We know that the losses for viticulture will be very large, for sure,” he stated. However, he stressed that the immediate priority is rescuing people and that the recovery of infrastructure and economic activities will take months or even years.

Despite the sadness over the situation, Bellé was impressed by people's solidarity and willingness to help others. He appealed to anyone who can to contribute donations to help victims of the floods in Rio Grande do Sul.