"Rope! Rope!" Shouted, But 21-Year-Old Woman Dies in Fall in Brazil

Jumped Without Safety Rope Attached... 40m Fall
Three Staff Members Arrested on Homicide Charges

A woman in her twenties died in Brazil after jumping without her safety rope attached during a rope jumping experience.

According to the British daily The Telegraph on June 15 (local time), on June 13, Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, 21, was participating in a rope jump from the abandoned railway bridge 'Ponte do Esqueleto' in Limeira, São Paulo, Brazil, when she fell about 40 meters and died.

The abandoned railway bridge 'Ponte do Esqueleto' in Limeira, São Paulo state, Brazil. Brazilian local media Pirassununga YouTube

At the time, Freitas was participating in a rope jumping program known as the "Superman pose." Unlike bungee jumping, which uses an elastic cord, rope jumping is an extreme sport where the participant is attached to a non-elastic safety rope and jumps from a high place.

Video footage taken just before the accident shows two staff members holding Freitas by the arms and legs, carrying her horizontally to the edge of the bridge. It appears that they did not realize her harness was not connected to the main safety rope.

Immediately after Freitas was thrown into the air, voices at the scene were heard shouting "Rope, rope!" The camera then showed the unattached safety line still on the platform.

Witnesses reportedly attempted CPR before firefighters and paramedics arrived at the scene after receiving an emergency call. However, Freitas was pronounced dead on the spot due to multiple injuries.

Witnesses told police that staff had failed to connect Freitas's safety equipment. Police detained six people involved at the scene. Among them, three men were reportedly arrested on charges of homicide.

A police official told local media, "The team was operating without proper regulations in place," adding, "They did not even have authorization to operate at the site."

In contrast, legal representatives for the suspects stated that the instructors were experienced personnel and that this was the first fatal accident in several years of operation.

The bridge where the accident occurred was built for railway use but has been left unused and neglected for decades. The facility was owned by the Brazilian Federal Railway Network and is reportedly in the process of being transferred to federal government assets.

The Limeira city government announced it would file a lawsuit against the federal government.

Murilo Felix, Mayor of Limeira, said the city had been raising concerns about the dangers of the bridge and unauthorized extreme sports activities for several months, stating, "This fatal accident is at a level that can no longer be ignored." He also emphasized, "Despite the risks being known for years, no adequate protective measures were put in place," and called for accountability for the lack of access control over federal property.

Police are currently investigating whether negligence or violations of safety regulations were involved.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.