Overview

• The incident occurred on June 30 when journalist Lenildo Frazão felt an object under his feet during a live broadcast in the Mearim River near Bacabal, later identified as 13-year-old Raïssa’s body.
• Firefighters recovered Raïssa’s body moments after Frazão’s report, locating it at the exact spot he indicated in the river.
• Medical examiners found no signs of physical trauma and concluded that Raïssa drowned accidentally after swimming the day before.
• Frazão’s team says the broadcast followed a local risk-zone reporting protocol approved by authorities, although strong currents and uneven riverbeds cast doubt on whether he actually felt the body.
• Coverage of the case has spurred media organisations to reassess safety measures for journalists working in remote or hazardous settings.