Three instructors may face charges after a 21-year-old woman, Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, died during a rope-jumping event in Brazil. The incident occurred at an abandoned bridge, roughly 90 miles northwest of São Paulo. According to authorities, the instructors acknowledged failing to attach the safety ropes before the jump.
Incident Details
Police investigator Andrea Levy reported that the instructors did not remember who was responsible for attaching the safety ropes. However, they confirmed Rodrigues de Freitas was not secured as she was launched from the bridge. The Ponte do Esqueleto, or ‘Skeleton Bridge,’ is where the tragic event unfolded.
Legal Consequences
The three men were arrested and could face charges of homicide with ‘eventual intent,’ a legal term in Brazil indicating that an individual has accepted a risk that could result in a death. They were taken into custody at the scene. Brazilian authorities are examining whether the group was authorized to conduct rope-jumping activities at the location.
Jumping Details and Aftermath
Video footage online shows two instructors, wearing harnesses, tossing Rodrigues de Freitas from the bridge in what was supposed to be an ‘airplane style’ jump. She fell approximately 130 feet to her death. Unlike elastic bungee cords, rope jumping uses low-stretch climbing ropes to create a swinging effect rather than a bounce. Local reports indicate she had booked a hiking excursion that included the rope jump.
The City of Limeira, where Rodrigues de Freitas resided, expressed condolences to her family and announced cooperation with the investigation. Rodrigues de Freitas was buried the day following the incident.
Ongoing Investigation
Authorities continue to investigate to determine who was responsible for ensuring safety measures were followed. A statement from the instructors’ attorneys claimed this was the first fatality they had experienced. Police are evaluating the possibility that the group’s oversight in verifying safety equipment led to her death.
Law enforcement’s ongoing examination of the event underscores the importance of safety protocol adherence in extreme sports. Investigators aim to uncover all factors contributing to this tragedy.