On Cam: Brazilian Journalist Steps On Missing Girl's Body While Covering Her Disappearance

Last Updated:July 22, 2025, 12:13 IST

Following the reporting, rescue teams and divers resumed their search on the morning of June 30, with the girl’s body later being discovered at the very spot where he had reported.

Brazilian reporter steps on body of a missing schoolgirl while reporting about her disappearance | Image: X

A video captured a disturbing incident that unfolded in Bacabal, northeastern Brazil, when a journalist reporting on the disappearance of a 13-year-old girl appeared to step on her submerged body during a live coverage.

Lenildo Frazao, reporting from the Mearim River, the last known location of the missing girl, entered the water to detail its depth and current.

While wading chest-deep, he abruptly took a step back and told his crew he felt something brush against him under the surface.

“I think there’s something down here at the bottom of the water," he said on camera, visibly shaken. “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."

Following the reporting, rescue teams and divers resumed their search on the morning of June 30, with the girl’s body later being discovered at the very spot where he had reported.

It remains unclear whether he had directly come into contact with the body at that moment.

The teenager, identified only as Raíssa, had reportedly drowned while swimming with friends. Authorities confirmed accidental drowning as the cause of death, with no signs of external injuries.

She was laid to rest on the evening of June 30.

Frazao had also used the segment to highlight the river’s dangers, citing strong currents and uneven depths caused by underwater holes.

Location :

Brazil

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News world On Cam: Brazilian Journalist Steps On Missing Girl's Body While Covering Her Disappearance