Brazilian sports car influencer Ricardo Godoi posted on Instagram hours before his surgery at a private hospital in Itapema for a back tattoo, but tragically went into cardiac arrest
An influencer has died after being sedated for a full back tattoo.
Sports car influencer Brazilian Ricardo Godoi had told his 222,000 Instagram followers he was about to undergo a surgical procedure in a message before the tragedy. However, while on the operating table at the private hospital in Itapema, Santa Catarina, the 45-year-old went into cardiac arrest.
A police probe is now underway as tributes flood in for the content creator, who had built up his online business selling luxury cars including Lamborghinis and Ferraris. Ricardo had taken to social media on Monday, writing: “I’m about to undergo a surgical procedure and will only be back here after 4pm.”
The haunting message was later followed by a post announcing his sudden passing. The announcement in Portuguese on Tuesday said: “It is with deep regret that we announce the passing of Richard Godoi, which occurred today at 12pm. In this moment of pain, we sympathize with family and friends, wishing them strength and comfort to go through this irreparable loss.
“Information about the wake and burial will be released soon. May the memory of Richard Godoi be remembered with affection and respect by all who had the privilege of knowing him.” The post was captioned with a tribute, describing Ricardo as “an incredible person who left his mark on the hearts of all who had the privilege of knowing him”.
“His joy, generosity and light will continue to be present in our memories and every story he helped build,” it added. “May he rest in peace. Our condolences to family & friends.”
The owner of the tattoo studio which was going to carry out Ricardo’s tattoo said the online star’s heart stopped at the beginning of the sedation. “That occurred before they even started tattooing him,” they said. “He was quickly checked and a cardiologist was called in to try to revive him, unfortunately without success.”
In a full statement following the tragedy, the studio said: “Ricardo was going to have a full back tattoo done with us under general anaesthetic, sedation and intubation. To do this, we hired a private hospital with all the staff, equipment and anaesthetic drugs necessary for the safety of the procedure. We also hired a doctor with a specialism in anaesthesiology and experience in intubation, whose documentation was approved by the hospital.
“Blood tests were requested beforehand, which showed no explicit risk in carrying out the procedure. Ricardo signed the consent form regarding the risk of the procedure.” The hospital where he died has been named locally as Dia Revitalite Hospital.
