'Gentle, loving' influencer, 22, dies in 'suspicious' circumstances after going on jet ski trip with two new friends

22-year-old Jaqueline Barbosa Nascimento disappeared last Sunday (August 31) while on a trip with new friends.

Firefighters recovered her body from a water reservoir called the Igaratá dam near São Paulo, Brazil on Wednesday (September 3). Jaqueline was identified at the scene by her mum. Her official cause of death is yet to be confirmed.

Local police initially said the social media star’s death was an accident as she allegedly couldn’t swim, but they are now said to be investigating her death as "suspicious", according to local media.

She had been with two friends, who have not been named, on the jet ski trip. Both gave statements to police, but their accounts contradicted each other, according to reports. Security footage from a nearby property is currently being reviewed as authorities continue to investigate.

According to G1 Globo, a witness report says the three friends fallen into the water when they lost control of the jet ski, the document states. A fourth person, who has also not been identified, offered them life jackets but they refused them. It is not known why.

A friend told police he had tried to push Jaqueline to the surface as she couldn't swim. They returned to the shore to seek help when they were unable to save her, the publication stated.

Jaqueline’s best friend Gabrielle Reis told local media that the influencer had been trying to convince her to join them. She said: "All our close friends pleaded with her not to go, since none of us could go along. But she spent the whole week nagging us, saying, 'come on, come on.' In the end, she went anyway."

Gabrielle also described her late friend as a "naive" person but also a “good” person. “She was always such a gentle, loving girl, always thinking of others. She was a good person and a true friend,” she said.

The grieving young woman also told local reporters that their differing choices had caused some friction in their friendship: "We fought because of the way she was living her life, living it so intensely. I didn't want to go because I have other goals with God,” she said. But despite warnings from her friends, Jaqueline still went for the trip with some new friends.

The online star was from São Paulo and had worked in a jewellery and perfume shop. She had more than 12,000 followers on social media. On one of her last Instagram uploads, she shared glamourous shots of her in an evening dress and wrote “life is beautiful” in the caption.

Many fans have left messages on her Instagram page. One said “Rest in peace Jaque”. Another said: “Very sad, thanks for everything”, alongside a crying face emoji. A third said: “[She] was so beautiful. I can’t believe it.”