A tragic incident occurred over the weekend in São Paulo State, Brazil, leading to the death of a young woman during a rope jumping activity. Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, a 21-year-old from Jandira, São Paulo, died after instructors failed to attach her to necessary safety equipment, as confirmed by the Civil Police of the State of São Paulo.
The accident took place at the abandoned Ponte do Esqueleto, or Skeleton Bridge, located roughly 100 miles northwest of São Paulo. This location is known for its rope jumping activities, standing at a height of about 30 meters, approximately 100 feet above ground level according to police reports.
Rope jumping is similar to bungee jumping but utilizes a tougher rope that swings instead of bouncing. In this tragic case, Ms. de Freitas was not connected to any rope when she jumped. Viral videos showing the incident on social media depicted the moment when she was lifted over the heads of two instructors with her arms outstretched before being thrown off the bridge.
While the instructors appeared to be safely harnessed, Ms. de Freitas’ harness lacked the necessary rope clips, leaving her in a precarious situation. When police arrived, a nurse was already attempting to resuscitate her, but unfortunately, she was found without vital signs.
In connection with the tragic event, three men from the company offering rope jumps were taken into custody. Two of them initially fled after questioning but were eventually captured. According to Brazil’s Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services, the company was unauthorized to conduct jumps at the bridge.
Ms. de Freitas was wearing a GoPro-style camera during the jump, but police have been unable to locate it at the site, and the instructors claimed ignorance about its whereabouts.
Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas was laid to rest in São Paulo State on Sunday, as reported by The Associated Press.
Reporter Leonardo Coelho contributed additional coverage to the story.
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