Journalist steps on missing girl's body while covering her disappearance

A video going viral on social media showed a journalist accidently stepping on the submerged body of a missing 13-year-old girl while covering her disappearance.

Journalist Lenildo Frazao was reporting from the Mearim River in Brazil, where the girl had been seen last time. He entered the water to show its depth and current.

While wading chest-deep, Frazao told his crew that he felt something beneath the surface.

“I think there’s something down here at the bottom of the water,” he said on camera. “No, I’m not going, I’m scared. It felt like an arm, could it be her? But it might be a fish, too. I don’t know.”

🇧🇷 | Mientras cubría la desaparición de una niña de 13 años en un río del noreste de Brasil, un reportero pisó accidentalmente su cuerpo, hallado en el mismo lugar donde grababa su reportaje.
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The next morning, on June 30, rescue teams resumed search operations. The girl's body was later found exactly where Frazao had reported from.

While it remains uncertain whether he made direct contact with the body, the timing and location of the discovery drew widespread attention.

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The teenager, identified as Raíssa, had reportedly gone missing while swimming with friends.

Authorities later confirmed she died of drowning, ruling out any signs of external injuries.