by Mark McDermott
Yuri Botelho was one of those people somehow anointed by a special kind of charm. Wherever he went, smiles seemed to follow.
“If you knew him, you loved him,” said his friend Bobby Bell, a Waste Management outreach coordinator. “There was no other way about it. He was the happiest person there is.”
Bell was speaking at last week’s City Council meeting, and he was near tears. That meeting was adjourned in honor of Botelho, a former engineering technician for the City of Manhattan Beach who died in a tragic accident the previous week.
Botelho, 36, was fatally struck by lightning on November 26, Thanksgiving eve, while mountain biking in Peru’s Cusco region during what was supposed to be an annual family vacation with his wife, Kelsey, and their 15-month-old son, Tyson. According to the Associated Press and CBS News, Botelho was biking with an American friend, 41-year-old James Alexander Fernandez, and a Peruvian tour guide at nearly 14,000 feet above sea level when a lightning storm struck the mountainous area near the border of the Paruro and Cusco provinces.
“Kelsey was tracking his watch, saw it wasn’t moving,” Botelho’s brother-in-law Brett Skoog told CBS News.
The tour guide escaped serious injury, but Fernandez was left critically hurt. Local police found Botelho dead at the scene that afternoon.
Mayor David Lesser, in his remarks at the end of the council meeting, spoke of Botelho as a man whose journey embodied the American dream and whose presence brightened every room he entered.
“He came to us from Brazil, bringing with him a remarkable work ethic, an infectious smile and a warmth that touched everyone he encountered,” Lesser said. “He was proud of his journey from a small coastal city in Brazil to becoming an American citizen just this past May.”
That achievement — gaining U.S. citizenship — held special significance for Botelho. City Manager Talyn Mirzakhanian helped sponsor his application, and those close to him understood how much the milestone meant. On Instagram in May, Botelho wrote: “Officially American Citizen … after a lot of effort, hard work, paperwork, sweat, blood, tears, taxes, fees, doubts and anxiety we made it.”
Botelho joined the City of Manhattan Beach in 2022, and though his tenure was relatively brief, his impact was profound.
“Yuri will forever be remembered for his smile, ambition, and kindness. This is a tremendous loss for everyone who had the privilege of knowing him,” Mirzakhanian said in a statement. “He touched so many lives during his time with us, and his impact will remain with us always.”
Those who worked alongside Botelho remember someone who brought “genuine enthusiasm to everything he did,” as Lesser noted. His passions embraced both his Brazilian heritage and his adopted California lifestyle: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, surfing Manhattan Beach’s waves, and lovingly restoring his 1965 Mustang.
But Botelho’s greatest joy was his family. He married Kelsey at Yosemite, his favorite landmark, and became a father to Tyson — a role that defined him. Bell, who attended Botelho’s baby shower, recalled: “He loved the Lord. He loved his wife. He loved his baby.”
“If you met Yuri once, you’ll never forget him,” Botelho’s sister-in-law Mandy Skoog told CBS News. When asked why, she responded simply: “He is just the happiest person I have ever met.”
In July of this year, Botelho left Manhattan Beach to accept a position with the City of St. Louis Park in Minnesota, relocating his young family to be closer to Kelsey’s relatives. On his last day with Manhattan Beach, he posted a heartfelt message on LinkedIn.
“It’s been a chapter filled with growth, learning, and meaningful connections,” Botelho wrote. “I’m proud of the work I’ve contributed — whether it was rolling up my sleeves on challenging projects, supporting the community, or simply showing up each day ready to do the work with heart and purpose.”
“I’ve learned so much from each of you, and I leave with a deep appreciation for public service and the impact it can have. While I’m excited for what’s next, I’ll always carry this experience with me — along with the relationships I’ve built and the lessons I’ve learned.”
The trip to Peru was an annual Thanksgiving tradition for Yuri and Kelsey. The couple had been married for three years. Initially, after the tragedy, she faced the daunting task of bringing her husband’s remains home while caring for their toddler in a foreign country. According to the Associated Press, Yuri’s father, Francisco Botelho, who serves as a councilman in São Mateus, Brazil, confirmed that his son’s body will be cremated in Lima before his remains are transported to Minnesota.
A GoFundMe has been established to help Kelsey and Tyson with expenses related to returning home. The effort has raised a little over $100,000 thus far. An update said that Kelsey successfully transported Yuri’s remains to Cuzco, but the journey remains difficult.
Bell’s voice broke as he spoke at the council about the challenges his friend’s family now face. “Please just lift his wife and kid up in your prayers,” he said.
“Yuri’s life was defined by love,” Lesser said, “love for his family, his community, and the work he did in service to others.”
Mandy Skoog told CBS News that her family, even amid the sorrow, were grateful for all the joy that Botelho brought to their lives.
“Man,” she said, “we were lucky to have him.”
See GoFundMe.com/f/help-kelsey-and-family-return-home-safely for more information or to contribute. ER
