Brazilian model Caroline Bittencourt's family denies she died after trying to save dogs from drowning

The family of late Brazilian model Caroline Bittencourt is denying reports she died after jumping into the sea in an attempt to save her dogs from drowning at a Sao Paulo beach.

“It was nothing more than an accident caused by the storm itself, which hit the coast of Sao Paulo on Sunday,” the 37-year-old’s father, Orley Bittencourt, said in an interview with TV Band News on Monday, as reported by The Sun.

“The claims are untrue and inaccurate, and I would ask people to listen to the facts,” he continued.

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“[Her husband] Jorge [Sestini] told me a wave hit the sides of the boat and the strength of that and strong winds unbalanced Carol and she fell into the water," he told the outlet. "Jorge jumped in to help her. He wasn’t able to throw a float or anything towards her because the distance between them was great because the currents took her quickly."

Orley described how his daughter’s final moments, witnessed by Sestini, were horrific.

“He could see Carol and she tried to swim to the boat,” said Orley. “He begged her to remain calm because he was coming to get her. But he could see her disappearing under the water and he couldn’t reach her as the storm separated them. He searched for my daughter for more than three hours and lost sight of the boat.”

Authorities also told The Sun Bittencourt did not jump in to rescue her dogs.

“Jorge said he was with his wife in Ilhabela at around 4.30 p.m. and decided to sail towards São Sebastião when they were surprised by strong gale force winds that hit the coast,” Captain of São Sebastião Port Authority Wagner Goulart de Souza told the UK-based publication.

“Jorge said his wife was swept out to sea after winds of more than 100kmh [62 mph] hit the boat (a 16.5 foot-long catamaran),” he continued. "It appears that due to the force of the winds and the high seas, Caroline was thrown into the sea. We have no information that she jumped in to rescue her dogs.

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“Jorge said he immediately leaped into the water in an attempt to rescue his wife but he was unable to do so. He was found around 7 p.m. We have been informed only two people were on the boat. We were not given any indication that Caroline jumped off the boat to rescue one of her dogs after it allegedly fell into the water.”

Sailor Roberto Tenório, who rescued Sestini, told Brazilian outlet G1 he heard the distraught man’s cries for help before he found him.

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According to The Sun, Bittencourt’s body was found late Monday in Cigarras Beach the northern region of Sao Paulo.

"I started looking and saw a hand waving, calling for help,” he recalled. “I got close, got him and I put him in my boat. He was very nervous and in a state of shock. He had spent (many) hours adrift looking for his wife and he kept on insisting that he needed to find her. He was in a panic and tired.

“I carried out a search before returning to the Yacht Club, but we were unable to find her. Jorge told me that they were alone on the boat. I’ve seen media reports that Caroline jumped in the sea to save the dog, but this was not what he told me. It's very sad, a tragedy.”

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It is claimed Bittencourt normally travels with two dogs, a black spitz called Cookie and a white one named Canjica, which may have caused the confusion. The Sun noted it’s still being reported by local media that one dog may be missing.

Brazilian outlet Globo originally reported the model jumped off a catamaran in an alleged attempt to rescue her dogs, who had fallen out of the boat. Bittencourt's father-in-law, Alfredo Sestini, told the outlet that the model's husband then jumped into the ocean to attempt to rescue her. He was rescued himself hours later.

According to the older Sestini, Bittencourt's body was discovered late Monday near Cigarras Beach in Sao Paulo.

“We are grateful for the support and affectionate messages we have received from Carol’s friends and fans," Bittencourt's daughter, Isabelle Bittencourt, shared on Instagram. "This energy drive fills our hearts with so much love."

Bittencourt's agent, Andrea Boneti, said her husband was in a "state of shock."

"Jorge tried to save her. He saw Carol drowning and wasn't able to save her. It was a terrible moment for him,” she told the outlet.

Her modeling agency, OXYgen Models, told Globo: "We are grateful for all the trust she has placed in us in these years of work and partnership, our condolences to the friends and family of the victim."

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The Brazilian news outlet reported that Bittencourt worked in Italy and worked with designers including Valentino Garavani and Roberto Cavalli. She also worked as a reporter for RedeTV! and RecordTV.

In 2005, Bittencourt made headlines when she was kicked out of soccer star Ronaldo Luís Nazário de Lima's wedding to Daniella Cicarelli after crashing the nuptials with her then-boyfriend, businessman Alvaro Garnero, Globo reported.

The news of Bittencourt's death comes just days after a model participating in Sao Paulo's Fashion Week died after getting sick on the catwalk.

Fox News’ Sasha Savitsky contributed to this report.