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Published 08:53 16 Jun 2026 GMT
A young Brazilian woman who was thrown to her death after bungee jump staff allegedly failed to attach a safety rope was still alive in the moments after her fall, according to an off-duty nurse who rushed to help her.
Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, 21, died on Saturday after plunging from the abandoned 130-foot Skeleton Bridge in Limeira, in São Paulo state, local authorities said.
The aspiring physical education teacher had reportedly requested to be launched "airplane style," with two instructors lifting her above their shoulders while she stretched out her arms. Viral footage circulating online appears to show the moments before the fatal jump.
Authorities have since charged three men with homicide with eventual intent, a Brazilian legal classification used when a person does not intend to kill but acts with such recklessness that a death occurs.
Shockingly, Rodrigues de Freitas did not die instantly after falling more than 100 feet to the ground, according to nurse Rayza Dias, who attempted to save her.
Dias described the difficult journey to reach the injured 21-year-old.
"I scraped my whole hand because there's a steep slope down there and only one rope for us to climb down," Dias told news show Domingo Espetacular on Sunday. "It was all covered in mud. I kept going down, down, we walked all the way."
The nurse said Rodrigues de Freitas was still breathing heavily and had a weak pulse when she arrived and began providing emergency care.
Becoming emotional during the interview, Dias recalled speaking directly to the victim.
"I even talked to her. I have a habit of joking and saying, "Nobody dies on my shift." And I told her, "Duda, nobody dies on my shift." Even though I wasn't on my shift there."
"Duda" is a common nickname in Portuguese for women named Eduarda.
Brazil's military police told local media that two men fled the scene shortly after realizing the fatal error.
They were later located in a nearby wooded area by a police helicopter, while six people in total were taken in for questioning, according to the São Paulo Public Security Secretariat.
Three men were subsequently charged with homicide with eventual intent. Local reports identified them as Maicon Fernandes Cintra, 42, Luis Felipe Feliciano Egoroff, 32, and Vitor de Freitas Goncalves, 27.
According to investigators, the suspects claimed there was a "blackout" during preparations for the jump and said they "can't remember" when or how the rope was not attached, or who was responsible for securing it.
No company has publicly accepted responsibility for the incident, and reports suggest the men may have been operating as an unauthorized group.
The tragedy has also renewed scrutiny of safety concerns surrounding Skeleton Bridge, where another fatal accident occurred in 2024 when a cyclist reportedly lost control and fell to her death.
Because the bridge is abandoned, responsibility for access, maintenance and management falls to Brazil's federal government.
Following the cyclist's death, federal authorities ordered Limeira municipality to block access and install warning signs. While the city complied, access points were later bypassed and adventure sports operators reportedly lobbied to keep the bridge open for commercial activities.
After Rodrigues de Freitas's death, Limeira City Hall reiterated that the federal government was responsible for regulating the bridge and said it had repeatedly warned officials about the dangers posed by the site.
The city has also announced plans to take legal action against the federal government.
Mayor Murilo Felix said: "In addition to the circumstances that led to the young woman's death, it is necessary to establish who is responsible for the lack of access control to a federal area which, for years, has posed known risks and is still without the necessary safety measures.
"We have been calling for action for months to ensure that the Federal Government assumes its responsibility. Unfortunately, its failure to act has just resulted in yet another tragedy in Limeira."
Adding to the grim circumstances, Rodrigues de Freitas reportedly shared an image on Instagram shortly before the jump showing a warning sign featuring a skull and crossbones and the words: "Danger. Risk of death."
She was buried in São Paulo on Sunday.
Hours after the funeral, her mother shared an emotional tribute on social media, writing: "That damned rope took you away from me forever.
"My beloved daughter, you are gone, and all that remains here is pain and longing. I will love you forever."
Published 09:44 15 Jun 2026 GMT
Moments before a young Brazilian woman plummeted to her death, she shared a chilling post on social media joking about her decision to bungee jump.
Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, 21, died when she fell 130 feet after being thrown from a bridge in Limeira, São Paulo, without the safety cord attached.
The physical education and sports management student posted a picture of the view from Skeleton Bridge captioned “Who was the crazy person who let me jump off a bridge???” on her Instagram story on Saturday, just minutes before her tragic death.
In a series of stories, Maria revealed that she was partaking in the adrenaline-fuelled activity, as well as revealing the location and showing off her identification bracelets for the jump.
She also photographed the company employees who would later be held accountable for her death after failing to attach the safety equipment.
According to local news outlet O Globo, De Freitas plunged to her death because the company running the popular jumping adventure failed to attach a crucial cord to her harness as they threw her off the bridge.
The moment bystanders realized the grave mistake was captured in a gut-wrenching video filmed by a witness.
Footage shows the cord still coiled on the floor as De Freitas begins falling, and a witness can be heard “Guys, the rope!” while pointing to the safety device lying on the floor.
The now widely shared video shows the young woman being carried by two workers in a Superman-style pose before being thrown off the bridge.
Split seconds later, terrified witnesses can be heard shouting: "The rope, people, the rope," The Sun reported.
The student was pronounced dead at the scene, and heartbreakingly, her fiancé was also watching as she fell over 100 feet to her death.
Emergency services provided him with medical attention after he fell ill when he learned that his beloved fiancée had lost her life.
Since the tragic incident, six people have been arrested in connection. Three were detained at the scene of the jump, while two of the suspects were caught by a helicopter in woodland shortly after attempting to flee the scene.
The incident sparked Limeira City Hall to take legal action after it claimed that long-standing safety concerns were ignored by the company in the lead-up to De Freitas’ death.
Officials say they want answers over how the tragedy ocurred, and whether the company had enough precautions in place to prevent a fatal accident.
Published 09:28 15 Jun 2026 GMT
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.
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.
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?"
Published 15:47 15 Jun 2026 GMT
A witness of the tragic incident involving a rope-jumping activity in Brazil has revealed something harrowing about the death of Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, 21.
The woman from Jandira, Brazil, was killed after staff at the activity reportedly forgot to secure her safety rope before launching her from a 40-meter bridge.
Maria sadly passed away on Saturday (June 13) at the popular Ponte do Esqueleto, also known as "Skeleton Bridge," located in Limeira, São Paulo.
While she was looking forward to the jump, sharing snaps of the surrounding area on social media before participating in the activity, it would ultimately end in disaster.
Video footage from the incident shows people shouting: "The rope, people, the rope!" just seconds after workers released Maria from the bridge in a Superman position.
Sadly, she was pronounced dead at the scene - but it turns out that Maria wasn't meant to be jumping in that slot.
A man who watched the woman plunge to her death in the horrific rope jump tragedy has now spoken out, revealing he was meant to be jumping instead of her.
Unlike traditional bungee jumping, rope jumping uses a climbing-style rope to stop the fall, before swinging the individual in a pendulum-type fashion.
Staff from the Entre Cordas company have since been arrested for their roles in the incident, as graphic videos have circulated online.
Speaking to local outlet G1, Higor William Diniz Ferreira revealed that he was meant to be jumping when Maria passed away, but he left late and missed his slot.
But the decision to leave 40 minutes later may have saved his life, as he recalled: “It was supposed to be me, because I was supposed to leave home today at 6AM to go there.
"However, I ended up being late and left at 6.40. My jump, between me and this woman, was like five to ten people. It was the time I was late. The time she spent in front of me."
Higor said he found the company through social media, while a staff member told him that in four or five years of working there, nothing bad “had ever happened."
The witness even jumped at the location before, recalling that the equipment was always checked, though this time they reportedly "forgot the rope."
“All the boys checked if it was right, but they didn’t check the woman’s. There were three boys and the three ignored the fact that she was thrown like that,” Higor recalled.
When Maria fell, the witness said that one of the staff members swiftly fled.
“The boy, the second one behind, who threw her, he put his hand on his head, got up, took his things and left. The guy left before us. Before the police, firefighters and ambulances arrived,” he revealed.
But it's reported by O Globo that one of the men arrested claimed in court that they weren't trying to flee the scene.
While six men were arrested, three have since been released, all in connection with Maria's death.
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 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.
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