Brazilian soap star Domingos Montagner has died at the age of 54.

Montagner, 54, was finished filming his soap opera, Velho Chico, for the day and decided to go for a swim into the Sao Francisco River in Brazil with co-star Camila Pitanga. Montagner was taken away by strong currents, according to Pitanga, and ultimately drowned. The soap star was reportedly found about 60 feet underwater, near the Xingo hydroelectric power plant.

"They thought they had chosen a safe spot to swim, but that is one of the most dangerous areas in the town of Caninde and usually avoided by locals," local police chief Antonio Francisco Filho told O Globo, of the incident.

Montagner recorded a video shortly before his death where he was hugging his Velho Chico co-stars, Pitanga and Gabriel Leone.

"Our final journey to film 'Velho Chico,' " he says. "Ending this wonderful epic full of love, emotion, affection, friendship. What a family!"

As reported by The Associated Press, "Globo TV showed scenes from a previous episode of 'Velho Chico' where Montagner is shot and left for dead in the Sao Francisco River. He is later rescued by Indians in the area."

Montagner is survived by wife Luciana Lima and their three children, Leo, 13, Antônio, 9, and Dante, 4. Montagner and Lima were married for 15 years. Brazilian site Pure People reports that Lima has spoken with her boys, saying that the oldest and middle children are shaken, while the youngest hasn't fully grasped the situation yet.

Before he rose to fame through his television roles, Montagne was a circus performer as well as a theater actor.

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