A 21-year-old Brazilian woman died on Saturday after staff at a bungee jumping event launched her from a 40-metre bridge in São Paulo state without attaching her safety rope, reports have said.
Fatal Incident
Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas fell from the Ponte do Esqueleto, known as Skeleton Bridge, in Limeira, São Paulo, after staff failed to secure her to the elastic cord before launching her from the platform, according to the Brazilian outlet Folha de Pernambuco.
Footage of the moments before the fatal fall showed two crew members carrying her horizontally by her arms and legs towards the edge. As she was released, voices could be heard shouting: "Guys, the rope." The camera then panned to show the safety line still lying on the platform as she fell to the ground.
Witnesses told authorities that the main lifeline had not been attached to Maria before she was launched from the platform. The rope, which should have been connected to her harness before she went anywhere near the edge, was sitting unused on the bridge as she fell 131 feet into a rocky canyon below.
Witness Account
Maria's fiancé accompanied her to the bridge and witnessed the unchecked fall firsthand. Paramedics treated him for severe emotional distress at a nearby hospital following the incident.
Victim Background
Maria Rodrigues de Freitas was a recent graduate in physical education and sports management and a resident of Jandira in Greater São Paulo. The City Hall of Limeira expressed its solidarity with the family.
"Mayor Murilo Félix, First Lady Luciana Félix, and Vice-Mayor Fabiano D'Andréa, on behalf of the entire municipal administration, express their deepest condolences for the passing of Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, 21 years old, a resident of the municipality of Jandira," it said. "Maria Eduarda died this Saturday (13), during a rope jumping activity held at Ponte do Esqueleto."
