She was thrown into the void from a height of about 40 meters without being connected to the safety rope. Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, 21, died during a rope jump at the Ponte do esqueleto, in Limeira, in the hinterland of the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo. The case, which occurred on Saturday 13 June, caused great emotion in Brazil and is now at the center of a police investigation. Maria Eduarda often shared moments of her daily life on social media, and just before the accident she had published some stories showing the bracelets and the bridge from which she was about to jump, asking herself – in an ironic tone – “Who was the crazy person who let me come and jump from a bridge?”.
The video of the accident
The incident was captured in a video circulating on social media. The images show the young woman accompanied towards the platform by the operators in charge of the activity. Immediately after the launch, some present noticed that the safety rope had not been connected and began shouting “People, the rope” while Maria Eduarda fell into the void without protection. When help arrived the young woman was already dead.
The case was brought to the 2nd Police District of Limeira. Six people were taken to the police station to be interviewed; three remained in custody. Investigators will have to clarify who was responsible for checking the equipment and managing the jump. According to the Brazilian press, the victim’s boyfriend felt ill after the accident and was taken to the emergency room.
The case has caused a stir in Brazil and raised concerns about the security measures needed for these activities. Numerous videos document how the “rope jump” in which Maria Eduarda lost her life should have happened.