In a tragic incident, a television reporter inadvertently stepped on the body of a missing 13-year-old girl while filming a segment about her disappearance. The incident occurred at the Mearin River, in Bacabal, northeastern Brazil. The missing girl, who has been identified as Raissa, was seen at the exact location. According to The Sun, journalist Lenildo Frazao had entered the river to showcase its depth and to show the spot where Raissa had been swimming before she went missing. Unaware of what was beneath, Frazao entered the water as cameras rolled. The viral video of the moment shows Frazao suddenly backing away when the water reached his chest. He then quickly retreated to shallower waters, casting anxious glances towards the area. “I think there’s something down here at the bottom of the water,” he told his crew. Moments later, he said, “No, I’m not going, I’m scared. It looked like an arm, could it be her? But it might be a fish, too. I don’t know.” Watch the video here: Brazilian journalist discovers body of missing 12yo girl while filming report about her disappearance pic.twitter.com/73ygG2tGYh — RT (@RT_com) July 21, 2025 The video caught the Internet's attention, sparking a wave of reactions with several social media users suspecting the reporter. "What the chances of that? I'm gonna say, I think he's a suspect now," a user wrote. "They knew it prior,this was just to dramatise the whole event for views or sensationalism. Humans in there worse form!" another user commented. "He should be investigated," a third user reacted. Reports further stated that following the incident, firefighters and divers resumed their search for Raissa on June 30. They recovered her body at the exact location where the reporter had been filming. While it's not confirmed whether Frazao actually made contact with her remains, the timing and placement of the discovery raised questions. Raissa had gone missing while swimming with friends, and a post-mortem examination later confirmed her death was the result of accidental drowning, the report said. No signs of physical trauma were found. She was laid to rest on the evening of June 30, following a community vigil. Her school declared three days of mourning.
