In a chilling and deeply unsettling incident in Bacabal, northeastern Brazil, a television reporter inadvertently stepped on the body of a missing 13-year-old girl while conducting a live river report. The journalist, identified as Lenildo Frazão, was waist-deep in the Mearim River, demonstrating its depth and pinpointing where the teen - named Raíssa - had gone missing during a swim with friends.

Mid-report, Frazão recoiled sharply, saying he felt something underfoot that "felt like an arm". He immediately backed away, visibly shaken, warning his team of what he suspected: “Could it be her? But it might be a fish too...” Shortly after, local authorities intensified their search, and divers recovered the girl’s body at the exact spot where the reporter had been standing.

A post-mortem later confirmed that Raíssa had accidentally drowned - there were no signs of external injuries. The footage has raised serious questions about the emotional toll of reporting tragedy live and the unforeseen risks journalists may encounter in the field. The deeply traumatic encounter underscores the fragile line between covering tragedy and becoming part of it.