Overview

• Journalist Lenildo Frazão accidentally discovered the body of 13-year-old Raíssa while wading in the Mearim River during a search for the missing girl.
• Civil Police and the Forensic Institute ruled the cause of death as accidental drowning with no signs of violence.
• The moment Frazão stumbled on the body was recorded by the EITA Bacabal TikTok account and has amassed over five million views.
• Raíssa’s school declared three days of mourning and community members held a vigil in her memory.
• The incident highlights hidden currents in the Mearim River and underscores the role of journalists and social media in real-time crisis coverage.