World3 min(s) read
world2 min(s) read
world2 min(s) read
world3 min(s) read
travel3 min(s) read
us2 min(s) read
Published 11:23 14 Jun 2026 GMT
A 21-year-old woman tragically lost her life after allegedly being launched from a bridge swing attraction without being connected to a safety rope.
Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas was taking part in an extreme adventure activity at Ponte do Esqueleto, or Skeleton Bridge, in Limeira, São Paulo, on the morning of June 13.
Footage circulating online reportedly shows Maria being positioned in a Superman-style pose by two staff members before being released from the bridge. Seconds later, panic broke out.
According to a report by The Sun, voices can be heard urgently shouting: "The rope, people, the rope."
Witnesses and information provided by Military Police suggest that employees may have failed to attach the safety line to Maria's harness before she was sent off the platform, before she fell over 100 feet to her death, while workers watched helplessly.
Just before the fatal incident, Maria had shared her excitement about the experience on social media.
The 21-year-old, who was from the nearby city of Jandira, posted updates documenting her arrival at the attraction, including photos of her access wristbands and images connected to the event organizers.
In a post that has since taken on heartbreaking significance, Maria shared a photo featuring the banner of the company "Entre Cordas" and jokingly wrote: "Who was the crazy person who let me jump off a bridge?"
According to reports, Maria held a degree in physical education and sports management and was a dedicated supporter of Santos Football Club.
Emergency crews, including firefighters and paramedics, rushed to the scene following the accident, but despite their efforts, Maria was pronounced dead.
Her body was later transferred to the Legal Medical Institute as authorities began investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Reports indicate that Maria's fiancé was present at the bridge when the accident occurred. He reportedly became ill after learning of her death and required medical assistance.
Police confirmed that six people were arrested at the scene as part of the ongoing investigation.
The tragedy has also sparked concerns about safety measures at the location.
Limeira City Council announced plans to file a complaint with Brazil's federal government over what officials describe as longstanding safety concerns in the area.
Mayor Murilo Félix said: "It is necessary to determine responsibility for the lack of access control to a federal area that has presented known risks for years and still lacks the necessary protection measures."
Despite the fatal accident, future events at Ponte do Esqueleto were reportedly still being promoted online in the days afterward.
The attraction had been charging R$180 (approximately $35) per jump and had additional dates scheduled, including an event planned for July 11.
The company was also advertising similar activities in Rio Claro and Minas Gerais, with participation fees ranging between R$210 and R$250.
Authorities continue to investigate how the alleged safety failure occurred and who may ultimately be held responsible.
Published 08:59 14 Jun 2026 GMT
Warning: This article may contain some distressing information.
A 21-year-old Brazilian woman tragically died after she was allegedly thrown from a bridge swing without being connected to a safety rope.
Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, 21, was taking part in a thrill-seeking activity at Ponte do Esqueleto, also known as Skeleton Bridge, in Limeira, São Paulo, on Saturday (June 13) morning.
Disturbing footage shared online shows Maria being carried by two workers in a Superman-style pose before being launched from the bridge.
Moments later, voices can be heard shouting: "The rope, people, the rope," The Sun reported.
According to witnesses and information provided by Military Police, staff allegedly failed to connect the safety equipment to Maria's harness before she was released.
She fell more than 131 feet to the ground while horrified employees looked on.
Just hours before the accident, the woman, who was from nearby Jandira, shared her excitement about the jump on social media.
In a series of posts, she documented her arrival at the attraction, shared pictures of her identification bracelets, and even posted images of company representatives involved in the event.
In one heartbreaking post alongside a photo of the company banner "Entre Cordas", she wrote: "Who was the crazy person who let me jump off a bridge?"
Maria held a degree in physical education and sports management and was a supporter of Santos Football Club, per News.com.au.
Firefighters, paramedics, and emergency responders rushed to the scene, but Maria was pronounced dead.
Her body was later transferred to the Legal Medical Institute as authorities launched an investigation, per The Mirror.
According to reports, her fiancé was also present at the bridge and required medical attention after becoming ill when he learned she had died.
Police have revealed that six people were arrested at the scene following the incident.
In addition to this, the Limeira City Council confirmed it will file a complaint against the Brazilian federal government.
"It is necessary to determine responsibility for the lack of access control to a federal area that has presented known risks for years and still lacks the necessary protection measures," said Limeira mayor Murilo Félix.
Following Maria's death, future events at the same location were still being advertised online.
The company had been charging R$180 ($35.42) per jump and had upcoming dates listed for Ponte do Esqueleto, including an event scheduled for July 11.
Additional activities were also advertised in Rio Claro and Minas Gerais, with prices ranging from R$210 to R$250.
Published 09:25 14 Jun 2026 GMT
Warning: This article may contain some distressing information.
A heartbreaking social media post shared by a woman just hours before her death has taken on a haunting new meaning after a fatal bridge jump accident in Brazil.
As previously reported, Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, 21, tragically passed away on Saturday morning after she was allegedly launched from a bridge without being connected to a safety rope.
The tragedy, which took place at Ponte do Esqueleto, also known as Skeleton Bridge, in Limeira, São Paulo, has sparked an investigation and led to multiple arrests. Still, many have been left focused on a message Maria posted shortly before the accident.
Before taking part in the activity, the late woman documented her day on social media, sharing photos from the site and showing followers the identification bracelets she had received for the jump.
She also posted pictures of company representatives involved in the event.
In one post alongside a photo of a company banner for Entre Cordas, Maria wrote: "Who was the crazy person who let me jump off a bridge?" The Sun reported.
Disturbing footage shared online appears to show Maria, who was from nearby Jandira, being carried toward the edge of the bridge by two staff members in a Superman-style pose.
According to witnesses and information provided by Military Police, a safety rope had allegedly not been attached to her harness before she was released.
Moments after she was launched from the bridge, voices can be heard shouting: "The rope, people, the rope."
Maria fell more than 131 feet to the ground while horrified staff looked on.
Emergency responders, firefighters, and paramedics rushed to the scene, but she was pronounced dead.
According to reports, her fiancé was also present and required medical attention after becoming ill upon learning she had died.
Military Police said Maria was participating in an activity organized by a private company when the accident occurred.
Six people were arrested at the scene following the tragedy.
The Civil Police have since launched an investigation and will determine whether to bring criminal charges against anyone involved.
Limeira City Council has also announced plans to file a complaint against the Brazilian federal government.
"It is necessary to determine responsibility for the lack of access control to a federal area that has presented known risks for years and still lacks the necessary protection measures," said Mayor Murilo Félix, per The Mirror.
Our thoughts are with Maria's loved ones at this time.
Published 12:47 23 Mar 2026 GMT
A 17-year-old girl died in a devastating bungee jumping accident after a fatal misunderstanding during what should have been a supervised activity.
Per The Mirror, Vera Mol, from the Netherlands, lost her life in August 2015 after jumping from a bridge in northern Spain before her safety harness had been attached. The tragedy unfolded near Cabezón de la Sal, Cantabria, where she had been taking part in the activity with a group of teenagers.
The Dutch youngster was among a party of 13 Dutch and Belgian teenagers, all aged under 18. Vera was second from last to jump, and it was her first time attempting the extreme sport. She stepped off the bridge and fell around 32 meters onto the riverbed below.
Before her leap, the instructor had called out "no jump" which the court heard she may have mistaken for "now jump".
It was revealed that her death could have been prevented if the instructor had used clearer wording such as "don't jump" instead of the ambiguous phrase.
The court found that confusing language was central to the incident and described the instructor's English as very bad.
Judges heard that the instructor did not have a strong enough grasp of English to safely oversee foreign participants during such a high-risk activity.
As reported by The Independent, the instructor stood trial charged with causing Vera's death, while the director of the bungee jumping firm also faced charges of negligent homicide.
Flowtrack, the company running the operation, described the incident as an accident. However, Martijn Klom from the organization acknowledged it resulted from a miscommunication.
He confirmed she was given confusing directions and that although she was connected to the rope, she had not been properly fastened to the bridge.
Beyond the miscommunication, the court heard there were multiple safety breaches that contributed to the fatal outcome.
The instructor had failed to secure Vera to any safety line while climbing to the bridge, leaving her unprotected moments before the jump.
The company also failed to set up a safe waiting area, leaving teenagers standing dangerously close to the edge while they waited for their turn.
Staff were also criticized for not checking her identification to confirm her age. At 17, she was below the legal age requirement and the company had not obtained parental consent before allowing her to take part.
Vera’s family later called for stricter safety regulations to prevent another tragedy like this.
Published 17:28 30 Aug 2022 GMT
A woman has recalled the frightening moment she plunged 14,000ft after her parachute failed during a skydive.
Emma Carey, now 29, almost died back in 2013 when her parachute tangled and stifled her skydiving instructor - causing them to fall from the sky.
The incident occurred on day five on what was supposed to be a three-month trip of a lifetime in Europe with Carey and her best friend Jemma Mrdak.
But what should have been an exciting experience for the then-20-year-old turned into a nightmare shortly after her instructor deployed the parachute and it became entangled with the strings of the safety chute.
Check out her story below:Carey realized something was seriously amiss when she spotted her parachute flapping in front of her, rather than in the air above.
She spoke with A Current Affair about the terrifying moment her instructor fell unconscious and said: "I just remember thinking, 'There’s no way I’m going to survive this' - you don’t imagine you can fall from that height without slowing down and surviving."
"I remember thinking about my family and the main thing I remember feeling is just kind of regret for not embracing my life fully up until that point," she added.
Upon hitting the ground, Carey took the most impact of the fall and landed facedown with the instructor on top of her. She then tried to roll him off her but quickly realized that she couldn't feel anything from her waist down.
Her best friend landed safely from her skydive but was unaware of what had happened to her and only saw Carey lying on the ground after.
"The first thing I saw was just her lying on her stomach, blood all over her face, crying, in hysterics, screaming that she couldn't feel her legs," Mrdak said.
Carey was rushed to the hospital where surgeons operated on her back and pelvis. Her spine was broken in two places, paralyzing her from the waist down.
"One day I just remember waking up and having this kind of epiphany where I thought, 'OK this has happened, I’m paralyzed and I can be paralyzed and upset about it for the rest of my life, or I can be paralyzed and hopefully live a fulfilling life regardless,'" she said.
Miraculously, both Carey and her instructor survived.
After leaving the hospital and being reunited with her family, Carey went straight into rehab and slowly but surely began to get the feeling back in her legs back.
Amazingly, one year later she learned to walk again and is now referred to as a "walking paraplegic" - which is a term used to describe those who were diagnosed as paraplegics but were later able to walk.
It’s now nine years since the accident and while Carey still deals with the effects of the accident such as not being able to feel below her belly button, and having no control of her bladder or bowel - she has still remained positive.
Earlier this month, she released a book about her experience called The Girl Who Fell From The Sky, and now looks at the moment she felt sure she was going to die as a "rebirth".
"I know how it feels. To think I only have 10 seconds left to live and now I get the rest of my life, whatever that is, so I think it's actually really nice for me to have that memory because it helps to keep me grateful," she said.
"Life really changed from that moment on and I also feel like every day from that date is just extra time that I get to live, so I should celebrate that," she added.
Published 17:05 09 Feb 2022 GMT
A woman in Florida has tragically passed away after the draw bridge she was walking on opened beneath her.
As reported by NBC News affiliate WPTV, the older woman - whose name has not been made public - was walking with her bicycle along the Royal Park Bridge on Sunday. However, she was unable to make it across safely after the bridge started to go up.
West Palm Beach police have stated that she was just 10 feet away from the end of the bridge when she fell to her death through a gap in the road.
An investigation is now underway.
More on this tragic story in the video below:Mike Jachles, a spokesperson for West Palm Beach police, said in a statement: "The woman tried to hang on. There was a bystander nearby who tried to help her, but tragically she fell five or six stories below where she died landing on concrete."
Jachles also spoke about the safety protocols that are in place on the manned bridge, adding:
"There is a bridge tender, and that bridge tender has certain safety protocols to follow, specific safety protocols [...] that includes lowering of the gates for the vehicles, lowering of the gates for the pedestrians, and making several visual confirmations that there is nobody at either of the spans or past those gates."
"The bridge tender actually comes out onto the catwalk, and walks around and does a visual inspection to make sure there are no cars or pedestrians or anyone else on the portion of the bridge on the inside of the gates that goes up." Jachles added.
Speaking to CNN affiliate WPBF, Jachles added that part of the investigation will "determine whether procedure was followed or whether this woman crossed after the signals were down."
Juan Orellana, an advocate for bicycle safety in the area, revealed that Royal Park Bridge is the most frequented bridge used by cyclists when crossing from Palm Beach Island to the mainland.
He also added that the bridge features alarms and barriers to help alert any pedestrians when the bridge is being prepared to rise.
"For one thing you will hear the bell even before the arms go down, so when you hear the bell you gotta get out of the way before the bridge goes up," Orellana said.
Speaking to WPTV, some residents have said that they have always felt safe on the bridge, while others did call for better signage to warn crossers.
2 min(s) read
.webp_ke6C2y?tr=cr-169.8.1505.1344,f-webp,q-70,w-1024)
3 min(s) read
.webp_SmgFsc?tr=cr-292.0.1244.952,f-webp,q-70,w-1024)
3 min(s) read
2 min(s) read
.webp_vBqgAR?tr=cr-242.0.1293.1051,f-webp,q-70,w-1024)
.webp_ke6C2y?tr=cr-169.8.1505.1344,f-webp,q-70,w-100)
.webp_SmgFsc?tr=cr-292.0.1244.952,f-webp,q-70,w-100)
.webp_vBqgAR?tr=cr-242.0.1293.1051,f-webp,q-70,w-100)
