Influencer, age 45, dies after suffering cardiac arrest on the operating table ahead of getting back tattoo

Ricardo Godoi had told his 222,000 Instagram followers he was about to undergo a surgical procedure in a post he uploaded shortly before his death.

The 45-year-old was going under general anesthesia at a private hospital as he wanted to get a full back tattoo - but when he was on the operating table he went in to cardiac arrest and died. Police are now investigating.

Godoi had built up his online profile selling luxury cars including Lamborghinis and Ferraris. On Monday (January 20) he told his fans: “I’m about to undergo a surgical procedure and will only be back here after 4pm.” But, he never returned to the platform.

A short while later, a post was uploaded to his page announcing his sudden death. The statement read: "It is with deep regret that we announce the passing of Richard Godoi, which occurred today at 12pm. In this moment of pain, we sympathise with family and friends, wishing them strength and comfort to go through this irreparable loss.”

It’ continued: "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." It’s not clear who wrote the post.

The owner of the tattoo studio which was going to carry out Ricardo's tattoo said the social media 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, shared with the Daily Mail, 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.”

One of his friends, Eduardo Razuk, told The Daily Mail how he was feeling ahead of the funeral and how unexpected the death was. “I spoke to him in the morning. Unbelievable, none of us expected that. He’s already in my prayers, Godoi was certainly an enlightened person,” he said.

Many tributes have also been left to Godoi on the Instagram post. One person who knew him personally, Ricardo Portes, said: “A great loss, he was a friend closer than a brother, rest in peace!” Another person, Kleber Moraes, said: “An incredible guy. He served us so well, always with amazing enthusiasm… Rest in peace, you helped many of us make dreams come true.”

Godoi is survived by his wife Raphael Gastaldi. The hospital where he died has been named locally as Dia Revitalite Hospital, in Itapema, Santa Catarina.