Story By: Alex Cope, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News

The body of this teenage beauty queen has been found floating in an Argentine river after the barge she was on during a camping trip with friends capsized.

Micaela Sol Acuna, 18, was found floating in the waters of the Parana river near the city of Ituzaingo in the province of Corrientes in north-eastern Argentina.

Local media report the teenager, who was the reigning “Queen of the Calf” beauty queen in the Corrientes province, had reportedly been on a camping trip with five friends on the banks of the river when they decided to take a trip on a barge.

The barge was owned by one of the friends who was reportedly steering the vessel which did not have the necessary safety measures on board such as life rings or the correct certification for its hull, according to reports.

The prosecutor in charge of the case Eugenio Balbastro confirmed that the boat did not fulfil the legal safety requirements and had a maximum capacity of four people, with six reportedly on-board at the time.

An unnamed source close to the investigation told local media outlet Infobae: “Through incompetence or negligence, the boat completely overturned and the young girl died.”

The girl’s body was found floating in the river by agents from the Argentine Naval Prefecture.

The cadaver was taken to the Forensic Medical Institute to undergo an autopsy but local media report investigators believe the death was an accident.

Roberto Sala, the Superintendant of Villa Olivari, the village in which the victim lived, said: “We hope that the family can receive the body, the municipality will accompany them with the funeral service.”

Reports state that if the state of the boat is to blame for the death, the vessel’s owner could be charged with “culpable homicide”.

Prosecutor Balbastro added: “It’s still early. In the coming week we could bring charges. The boat probably represented a danger.”

The investigation is ongoing and the autopsy results have not been reported. No arrests have been reported.

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