Influencer and dad, age 23, dies in river drowning accident despite friend's attempt to save his life

Igor Anton, aged 23, was fishing with his friend in a river on Friday (30 August) when he got into difficulty. The dad-of-one was walking in the shallow part of the Teles Pires River in Brazil when he started to drown.

As he struggled, Anton managed to catch his breath and called out to his friend for help. The friend, who has not been named, jumped in to the river and tried to pull Anton to safety, but was unable to do so. He died a short time later.

A Mato Grosso Civil Police spokesperson told MailOnline that the fire department responded to an emergency call that came in at 5.30pm, and officers attended to try to aid. Divers got in to the river in the area that the friend indicated Anton has entered the water, but they were unable to find the social media star’s body. The search was called off and resumed on Saturday (August 31). His body was then recovered around 8.30am.

Anton, who was known as Anton Estagiário online, gained fame online in January when he began recording and uploading content of his farming job. Just four days before his death, Anton shared an Instagram video of a chapel that he helped construct at the farm.

In what became one of his heartbreaking and possibly foreboding last uploads, he wrote: “A little bit of the process from the beginning to the end of the construction of our little saint on the farm. May God bless you very much.”

One of his 60,000 Instagram followers said Anton's participation in the project may have indicated what was going to happen. Gustavo Teixeira wrote: “He built this chapel with so much love and affection, it seems like it was a sign. He just finished it and went into to the arms of the Father.”

In another tragic twist, the day before he died, the late star also posted a song on social media that included the lyric: "I live today as if it were the end."

Anton leaves behind a three-year-old son. A week before his death, he shared a photo of his son and said he wished he had taken more photos of them together. His caption read: “Today we even forgot to take a picture. I love you, my son.”

Fans have left tributes to Anton on his final social media posts. One said: “Watch over us up there brother.” Another said: “Rest in peace Igor.” A third said he would be “greatly missed”.