Three people have reportedly been arrested after a British woman was killed during a solo kayaking expedition in the Brazilian Amazon.

Emma Kelty, 43, was last heard from on 13 September.

Days before her disappearance, the former head teacher had tweeted about her fears of being robbed or murdered during her 4,000-mile trip.

Ivo Martins, head of the Amazonas state homicide division, told the Associated Press that three people were in custody.

He said Ms Kelty was killed after being robbed and her body was thrown in the Solimoes River.


One of those arrested was a teenager who had confessed to carrying out the killing with six other people, Mr Martins said.

Ms Kelty's last-known location was about 150 miles west of the jungle city of Manaus, between the towns of Coari and Codajas.

Image: Ms Kelty's family said 'her strength will be sorely missed'

Some of her belongings, including her kayak, were reportedly found by the Brazilian navy on Friday.

In a statement, Ms Kelty's family said she was "dearly loved by us all and her strength will be sorely missed".

According to local reports, the stretch of river she had been trying to travel on is a known route for bandits and drug traffickers.

Ms Kelty was 42 days into her trip when she went missing, and she had posted about passing boats full of men with arrows and rifles.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are supporting the family of a British woman following her death in Brazil and are in contact with the Brazilian authorities."

Olie Hunter Smart, an explorer who completed a similar route in 2015, said Coari was an area known for its danger - and he had recently met Ms Kelty to help her plan the journey.

He said: "The Emma that I met was an incredibly brave and courageous person who lived life to the full.

"My thoughts go out to her close friends and family at this very sad time."