Overview
- Ronald José Salvador Montenegro, 55, a cultural leader tied to Olinda’s giant-carnival-figure tradition, was struck in the chest when a barbell slipped during a bench press at RW Academia in Jardim Atlântico.
- Security video shows him rise and walk toward reception before collapsing; he was taken to the UPA in Rio Doce and arrived in cardiorespiratory arrest.
- Pernambuco’s Civil Police have registered the case as an accidental death and report no evidence of third-party involvement, with forensic and autopsy findings still pending.
- Specialists, including Cref/PE president Lúcio Beltrão, say the risky “false grip” could make slippage more likely, though it has not been identified as the definitive cause.
- The gym and Cref/PE say trained staff responded immediately and the facility is duly registered, while relatives dispute the level of supervision and on-site emergency structure.