British kayaker shot dead in Brazil ‘was thrown alive into a river’

Emma Kelty, 43, was attempting a 4,000-mile solo kayak journey from the source of the Amazon in Peru to its mouth on the Atlantic Ocean when she vanished last Wednesday. 

Her body has not been found. Three drug dealers have been arrested over Ms Kelty’s death and three other members of the gang are still on the run. 

A fourth, believed to be the ringleader, was shot dead in an unrelated gang attack. 

The former head teacher’s brothers Piers and Giles and sister Natasha paid tribute to her yesterday, saying: “Emma was an active and determined sister who challenged herself, latterly through her adventures on the Pacific Coast Trail, as well as in the South Pole and Amazon. 

“In a world that is today a much smaller place, the explorer in our sister found herself seeking ways to prove that challenges were achievable.

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“We are extremely proud of our sister who was dearly loved by us all and her strength will be sorely missed.” 

Ms Kelty, from Finchley, northwest London, had written on Facebook about her fears of being robbed or murdered in an area of the jungle in northern Brazil known for pirate attacks and drug traffickers. 

Olie Hunter Smart, an explorer who completed a similar route in 2015, and helped Ms Kelty plan her journey, said the area – referred to as the Solimoes River – was known to be dangerous. 

He said: “The Emma that I met was an incredibly brave and courageous person who lived life to the full. My thoughts go out to her close friends and family at this very sad time.” 

Investigators revealed the gang of drug dealers “operates like pirates” and ambushes people in attempts to steal from them.

Some of her belongings, including her kayak, were found by the Brazilian navy on Friday, according to deputy chief of police Ivo Martins. 

He said: “Emma was hit by two gunshots from a .20 calibre sawn-off shotgun while she was resting in a tent on an island. 

“She had no chance to anticipate what happened to her.

“We believe the injured woman was still alive when her attackers took and threw her body into the Solimoes river. 

“One of the criminals, identified as Erinei da Silva, who is known as The Pin, climbed out of a canoe and shot twice into the tent, hitting Emma.” 

The gang tried to sell her belongings, including a GoPro camera, mobile phones and a tablet computer to villagers.


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