Additional Coverage:
- Horror moment woman falls to her death after ‘staff forget to attach cord’ at bridge swing attraction (themirror.com)
A thrill-seeking adventure ended tragically for 21-year-old Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, who died after being thrown from a bridge swing without proper safety equipment in Limeira, São Paulo, Brazil.
A video circulating on social media shows Rodrigues being lifted above the heads of three workers operating the bridge swing at Ponte do Esqueleto. Although she wore a helmet and harness, she was not secured to any safety line when released. Moments after she was thrown into the air, voices in the background can be heard urgently shouting, “The rope, people, the rope.”
Emergency responders were called to the scene, but unfortunately, Rodrigues was pronounced dead at the site after falling more than 131 feet. Witnesses and staff watched in horror as the fatal accident unfolded.
Rodrigues, who lived in nearby Jandira, had documented her experience on social media hours before the jump. She shared posts showing the location of the jump, identification bracelets for the activity, and a photo featuring the company banner “Entre Cordas,” alongside a caption that read, “Who was the crazy person who let me jump off a bridge?”
The staff featured in images and video were seen wearing shirts branded with “Entre Cordas” and “Ih Voei,” the companies associated with the activity. Military police reported that witnesses confirmed the safety equipment was not connected before Rodrigues was launched.
Authorities have arrested six individuals at the Ponte do Esqueleto site in connection with the incident. The company had charged participants approximately $35 for the jump and had advertised several upcoming dates for the activity.
Despite the tragedy, the company’s website reportedly still lists future jump dates, including one scheduled for July 11. The incident has raised serious concerns about safety protocols and oversight for such high-risk recreational activities.