Fatal Rope Jumping Incident In Brazil Leads To Instructors’ Arrests

Days after a 21-year-old woman died during an extreme sports outing in Brazil, more details are surfacing about the case. As previously reported, Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas was at Skeleton Bridge on June 13 to do rope jumping. Initial reports had listed the activity in São Paulo as bungee jumping. Viral videos show three instructors holding the 21-year-old above their heads. Moments later, two of them launch her into a 130-foot drop with no safety cord attached. New details are now shedding light on what happened after Maria hit the ground and who is being held responsible for her death.

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21-Year-Old Reportedly Asked For “Airplane Hold” During Rope Jumping

Associated Press reports that Maria Eduarda Rodrigues and several others were at the Ponte do Esqueleto on Saturday for rope jumping. Such extreme sports activities are seemingly common for tourists at the “abandoned bridge” in Limeira, Brazil.

21-year-old Maria, per AP, requested to be launched from the bridge in an airplane-style. Again, she was supposed to be secured to a safety rope system that would’ve had her fall into a horizontal, pendulum swing. Bungee jumping, by contrast, relies on elastic rubber cords that create a bounce effect. Meanwhile, rope jumping uses low-stretch climbing ropes. In viral videos of Maria being launched into the abyss, a rope is visible on the ground of the Skeleton Bridge.

Ahead of the fatal toss, Maria had reportedly joked on Instagram about jumping off the bridge. She captioned a photo of the jumping area with, “Who was the crazy person who let me up off a bridge?” 

Woman Allegedly Didn’t Die On Impact After Brazil Bridge Drop

In the viral footage, Maria is seen with her arms outstretched as the male instructors hoisted her body above their heads. They all appear to be wearing harnesses seemingly attached to a security rope. Three people missed that the 21-year-old wasn’t attached to anything, but onlookers quickly reacted after witnessing the throw.

Speaking to local news, a witness in the rope jumping incident claimed that Maria Eduarda Rodrigues didn’t instantly die after hitting the ground. TMZ says an off-duty nurse, Rayza Dias, told local media that Maria initially survived the impact of her 130-foot drop. Dias allegedly found the 21-year-old still conscious and talked to her, attempting to reassure her that she’d be okay. However, medical professionals later pronounced Maria dead on the scene. The extent of her injuries from the drop is not yet public information. According to the Associated Press, de Freitas was buried in São Paulo, Brazil, on Sunday (June 14).

Three Instructors Charged Claim They Don’t Remember Who Was In Charge Of Safety Check

Initial reports claimed that police had detained six people in connection with the fatal rope jumping incident. As of Tuesday (June 16), officials arrested and charged three instructors who worked for the rope jumping company. Their charges include homicide with eventual intent. Brazilian law reportedly allows for that charge in cases where someone didn’t mean to kill another, but was knowingly involved in a dangerous act with a fatal risk.

Additionally, NBC News identified the jumping instructors as 32-year-old Luis Felipe Feliciano Egoroff, 27-year-old Vitor de Freitas Goncalves and 42-year-old Maicon Fernandes Cintra. The instructors were reportedly arrested while “in flagrante,” which means while attempting to flee the scene. Investigator Andrea Levy said the male instructors acknowledged Maria wasn’t attached to any safety ropes. However, they claimed they didn’t remember who was responsible for checking her equipment. Meanwhile, a defense attorney for the rope jumping instructors claimed they remain in shock.

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