Additional Coverage:
- Chilling last social media post of woman who died as workers forget to attach bungee jump safety rope (themirror.com)
A 21-year-old woman tragically died on Saturday after being pushed from a bridge during a bungee jumping event without being secured to a safety rope. The incident occurred at the so-called “Skeleton Bridge” in Limeira, São Paulo, Brazil, where Maria Eduardo Rodrigues de Freitas fell approximately 130 feet into a ravine below.
Video footage circulating online reveals that Maria was not attached to any rope when she was shoved from the platform by two men. Bystanders can be heard shouting warnings about the lack of safety equipment as she plummeted into the canyon. Emergency responders pronounced her dead at the scene.
In the aftermath, six individuals connected to the event-five men and one woman-have been taken into custody. Authorities report that two men fled immediately after the accident but were later found in a nearby wooded area with police assistance.
In a haunting detail, Maria had shared posts on social media just hours before her jump, expressing excitement about the event. She revealed the location and posted pictures showing her identification bracelets and the company representatives responsible for the jump. One of her final posts included a photo of the company’s banner, captioned: “Who was the crazy person who let me jump off a bridge?”
According to Brazil’s Military Police, a witness stated that staff from the bungee jumping company simply forgot to secure the rope before pushing Maria off the ledge. The video has sparked widespread outrage online, with many condemning the apparent negligence. Comments described the failure to attach the rope as a fundamental safety breach, calling it criminally negligent and equating it to murder.
Following the tragedy, Limeira City Hall announced plans to sue the Federal Government, citing what officials describe as negligence regarding safety oversight at the Skeleton Bridge. The city claims that federal authorities are responsible for inspection, maintenance, and controlling access to the bridge and that repeated requests for safety improvements had gone unheeded.
This devastating incident underscores critical concerns about safety protocols and oversight in adventure sports, with ongoing investigations expected to determine accountability.