Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, 21, died on June 13 after being thrown off Ponte do Esqueleto (Skeleton Bridge) in Limeira, São Paulo state, Brazil, during an extreme sport jump without a safety rope attached to her harness [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. She fell roughly 40 meters and died at the scene when staff failed to secure her safety equipment before launching her off the disused and unlicensed bridge [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8].
Police arrested six people related to the incident, mostly staff and instructors, and opened criminal investigations into breaches of safety protocols and the unauthorized operation of the site [1, 4, 9, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10]. Two suspects initially fled but were caught with helicopter assistance [4, 9, 5, 6, 7, 8]. Three men remain formally under arrest on suspicion of homicide, while others were detained and released without charges [5, 10].
The jump was a paid activity with reports citing fees ranging from about 180 Brazilian reais (roughly 45 SGD) to around 290 USD [1, 4, 9]. Sources differ on the exact nature of the sport, some describing it as a rope jump with low-stretch climbing ropes distinct from bungee jumping [2, 6, 8], while others call it a bungee or bungee-like jump from high altitude [1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 11, 12].
Maria was an aspiring physical education teacher active on social media, where she often shared sports and lifestyle content. She posted jokingly about the jump shortly before her fatal fall, asking "Who was the crazy person who let me jump off a bridge?" [1, 2, 7, 8].
Medical rescuers arrived swiftly. Off-duty nurse Rayza Dias said she spoke to Maria briefly and tried to reassure her, saying, "Duda [Eduarda], nobody dies on my shift," even though she was not on duty at the time [10]. Despite initial signs of life, Maria died later from her injuries [10].
Maria’s fiancé was present at the scene and was hospitalized for severe emotional distress after witnessing the accident [4, 9, 8].
The site of the jump is a popular but unofficial location with no formal authorization to hold such extreme sport events [4, 5, 7]. Authorities are investigating the operators' adherence to safety standards and legal requirements [1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8].
