A 21-year-old woman has died after a bungee-style jump in Brazil went horribly wrong when the safety rope intended to break her fall was allegedly never attached.
Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas was taking part in the adventure activity at Skeleton Bridge in Limeira, in São Paulo state, on Saturday when the fatal accident occurred.
According to witnesses and police, instructors prepared Freitas for the jump before she went over the edge of the bridge.
Moments later, people nearby reportedly realised that the main safety rope had not been secured to her harness.
Video footage circulating on social media appears to show the moment bystanders shouted warnings after noticing the mistake, but it was too late to prevent the fall.
Freitas fell about 40 metres into the area below the bridge. Emergency responders were called to the scene, but she died from multiple traumatic injuries.
Before the jump, Freitas had shared photos from the site on social media. In one post, she joked: “Who was the crazy person who let me jump off a bridge?”
The young woman lived in the Greater São Paulo area and had recently completed studies in physical education and sports management. She also worked at a gym.
Brazilian authorities arrested six people linked to the company operating the jump as investigations got underway.
Local reports said two men left the scene after the incident and were later located with the assistance of a police helicopter.
The tragedy has renewed scrutiny over safety standards at the bridge, which has been the focus of concerns in the past.
Limeira mayor Murilo Félix said the municipality intends pursuing legal action against the federal government, arguing that long-standing safety and access issues at the site had not been adequately addressed.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances that led to Freitas’s death.
