World3 min(s) read
Tragic new details emerge after woman, 21, is thrown to her death after bungee crew allegedly failed to attach safety rope
New details have emerged following the death of a 21-year-old woman who was killed during a rope-jumping activity in Brazil after staff allegedly failed to secure her safety rope before launching her from a bridge.
Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, from Jandira, died on Saturday at the popular Ponte do Esqueleto, or "Skeleton Bridge," in Limeira, São Paulo. The young woman had reportedly been excited about the jump and shared posts on social media just hours before the fatal accident.
New details emerge
Video footage that has since circulated online shows two workers carrying de Freitas in a Superman-style position before releasing her from the 40-metre bridge. Moments later, panic broke out as voices could be heard shouting: "The rope, people, the rope!"
Authorities say de Freitas suffered multiple fractures in the fall and was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency responders.
Three instructors — Luis Felipe Feliciano Egoroff, 32, Vitor de Freitas Gonçalves, 27, and Maicon Fernandes Cintra, 42 — have since been charged with homicide with implied malice. Following a custody hearing on Sunday, all three men were ordered to remain in preventive detention.
Unlike traditional bungee jumping, which uses an elastic cord that causes participants to rebound, rope jumping relies on a climbing-style rope designed to stop the fall in a controlled manner before swinging the participant like a pendulum.
Investigators questioned by police
According to Brazilian outlet G1, investigators questioned the three instructors about how the fatal mistake occurred. Police reported that the men appeared confused and could not explain why de Freitas' rope had not been attached before the jump.
They were also unable to clarify who was responsible for securing the equipment or why a final safety inspection was not carried out.
During court proceedings, Egoroff denied attempting to flee after the incident. He explained that he had changed clothes because they had become wet and dirty.
"My shirt was already wet. It was very dirty. I went to the car and put on a clean one," he told the court, adding: "We're here. Nobody ran."
Cintra also denied trying to escape and said he could not remember exactly what happened during de Freitas' jump.
"Usually it's [Egoroff] who puts on the rope," he said. "In 99 per cent of cases … and I assist with the operation. I participate in the check, I call the person, I check the helmet. But in her case, I don't remember."
However, police presented a different version of events. Officers claimed that after one policeman left briefly to coordinate rescue efforts, the instructors moved toward a nearby wooded area and were later located with help from additional patrol units and an aircraft.
Judge Paulo Henrique Stahlberg Natal ordered the continued detention of the three men, citing several aggravating factors. These included alleged gross negligence during a high-risk commercial activity, the failure to use critical safety equipment, and what authorities described as efforts to interfere with the investigation.
The judge also warned that releasing the suspects could result in "the repetition of equally dangerous conduct."
São Paulo police chief Andréa Dantas Levy noted that Skeleton Bridge has been associated with previous tragedies, including suicides, failed jumps, and the death of a cyclist who fell while taking a selfie. However, she said the circumstances surrounding de Freitas' death were unlike any previous incident at the site.
The company operating the jumps had reportedly been charging 180 Brazilian reais (approximately $50) per participant and had several future events planned, including another jump day scheduled for July 11.
De Freitas, who held a degree in physical education and sports management, often shared content about nature and outdoor adventures online.
In a heartbreaking final post made shortly before the jump, she uploaded a photo of the company's banner and joked: "Who was the crazy person who let me jump off a bridge?"
