Brit father and his son are found dead on Brazilian rainforest nature trail 'after being electrocuted by broken power cable'

A British holidaymaker and his son have been found dead on a rainforest nature trail in Brazil after they were seemingly electrocuted by a broken power cable.

The bodies of the two Brits were found on June 30 on a coastal trail in Ubatuba, São Paulo state, between a pair of popular beaches.

Investigators said their corpses sported burns consistent with receiving a powerful electric shock, while the father had one end of a broken mains power cable trapped underneath his leg, local media reported. 

In a heartbreaking twist, the worried niece of the father is said to have called his phone as investigators were identifying the bodies in a desperate attempt to locate him.

The father and son were only found when engineers from Elektro power company went to investigate a blackout at Bonete Beach - one of two beaches connected by the coastal trail.

Their car was later discovered in a nearby parking lot.

Police investigating the case have registered the deaths as accidental.

In a statement, Elektro expressed deep regret for the accident and said they had dispatched their own team of investigators to get to the bottom of the incident. 

Deputy Secretary of the Tourism Department Rodrigo Andrade said in a statement: 'The Tourism Department sympathises with the incident and regrets the death of two tourists this weekend on the Fortaleza to Bonete trail.

'Unfortunately, the incident occurred in an area not regulated for ecotourism, which is an old access used by local residents and is not open to ecotourism activities.'

He added: 'We would like to reiterate the importance of hiring a licensed agency and qualified tour guides who can perform this activity with professionalism and competence, ensuring the safety of people on the trails.'

MailOnline has contacted the FCDO for comment.