Woman who died after rope‑jump instructors failed to attach cord buried in Brazil
A 21‑year‑old Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas was carried to the edge of the abandoned Skeleton Bridge in Ponte do Esqueleto, São Paulo, where three men acting as rope‑jump instructors failed to attach a secure rope. The footage shows the jump and a 40‑m fall, after which emergency services pronounced her dead on scene.
The three men, who were wearing harnesses, have been arrested on suspicion of homicide with intent. Police are investigating whether their negligence constitutes an act that caused death through assumed risk.
The bridge has been abandoned for years and is the responsibility of Brazil’s federal government. The City Hall of Limeira has announced a lawsuit against the federal agency for failing to manage the bridge, calling the incident evidence of unsustainable negligence.
Rope‑jumping, which uses low‑stretch climbing ropes to convert a fall into a pendulum swing, differs from bungee jumping’s elastic rope. The tragedy brings attention to the sport’s growing popularity and the need for stricter regulation.
