Instructors forget safety rope, 21-year-old dies in 40-metre fall from bridge in Brazil

The fatal jump

Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, a 21-year-old physical education graduate, died on Saturday, 13 June, after being launched from the Ponte do Esqueleto (Skeleton Bridge) near Limeira, in the interior of São Paulo state. She had paid 180 reais (about €30) for the rope jumping experience and an additional 150 reais (about €25) for a 360-degree camera recording. The activity, a variant of bungee jumping that uses a less elastic rope to swing like a pendulum, turned lethal when three instructors lifted her to the platform edge and pushed her off without attaching the safety line.

“"Who was the crazy person who let me jump off a bridge???"”

The victim had posted that caption hours earlier on Instagram alongside photos from the bridge. Videos that quickly went viral show the moment she is thrown, followed by onlookers shouting about the missing rope. The thick safety cord lay coiled on the bridge floor just beside the instructors. The fall was approximately 40 metres, and the impact killed her instantly.

The arrests and suspects’ accounts

Military police initially detained six people connected to the event, but later released three who had been handling wristbands and harnesses in a nearby tent. The three men who physically handled the victim (aged 27, 32 and 42) remain in custody on suspicion of negligent homicide. During questioning they said they were responsible for securing the ropes but suffered a sudden memory lapse, unable to recall who should have attached the gear. A police source told Globo that in such a risky sport, safety should have been checked three times.

Safety gaps and company response

The instructors were reportedly part of informal practitioners’ groups rather than a licensed company, and the municipal government asserts that no authorisation existed for commercial jumps from the bridge. Uniforms seen in footage bore the names “Entre Cordas” and “Ih Voei”, but neither outfit has issued a public statement. The defence lawyer described the case as a tragic fatality, noting that those involved have years of practice with no prior accident history.

Legal and political fallout

The Limeira city administration has announced it will sue the federal government, accusing it of failing to supervise, maintain and control access to the bridge. In a statement, the municipality said it had been pushing for administrative measures since early 2025 and that the death makes continued inaction unacceptable. Meanwhile, the civil police inquiry will examine whether mandatory safety protocols were followed and who bears criminal liability.

Victim’s background

Maria Eduarda held degrees in physical education and sports management and frequently shared her outdoorsy routine on social media. She was filming the jump herself with a handheld camera; investigators have not recovered that device. Rescue teams from the military police, fire brigade and mobile emergency service responded but could only confirm death at the scene.