Daijiworld Media Network- Brazil

Brazil, Jul 22: In a deeply unsettling incident that has left an entire community shaken, a Brazilian television journalist unintentionally stepped on the submerged body of a missing 13-year-old girl while filming a live segment about her disappearance in the Mearim River at Bacabal, northeastern Brazil.

The journalist, identified as Lenildo Frazao, was reporting from the river where Raissa, a local schoolgirl, had gone missing while swimming with friends. In an effort to demonstrate the river's depth and danger, Frazao waded into the murky waters—unaware that the very girl he was reporting about lay lifeless beneath his feet.

Mid-broadcast, the reporter suddenly reacted in alarm as he felt something beneath the surface. Visibly shaken, he exclaimed to his crew, “I think there's something down here at the bottom of the water... It looked like an arm – could it be her? But it might be a fish, too. I don't know." The footage captured his swift retreat to the shore, gripped by fear and confusion.

Following his report, a fresh round of search operations was launched by local firefighters and divers. Tragically, Raissa’s body was discovered at the very spot where Frazao had stood—a heartbreaking confirmation that added a grim layer to the already tragic story.

Authorities later confirmed through a post-mortem that the cause of death was accidental drowning, with no signs of physical assault or foul play. Raissa’s grieving family held her funeral on the evening of June 30, with her school observing three days of mourning and the community coming together for a candlelight vigil to honour her memory.

Frazao, during his report, had warned about the dangerous conditions of the river, including hidden currents and treacherous holes in the riverbed—hazards that are now painfully evident in the wake of this tragic loss.

The incident has ignited discussions across Brazil regarding safety awareness near water bodies and the unexpected emotional toll of frontline journalism.