In brief
Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas was carried to an abandoned bridge in São Paulo state when rope‑jumpers overlooked attaching a safety rope and she fell 40 m, suffering fatal injuries. Three men have been arrested, and police are probing possible culpable homicide. The incident has spotlighted regulatory gaps in extreme‑sport, local government responsibility and the danger posed by abandoned infrastructure.
Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, 21, was killed in a former bridge linking Limeira and Cordeirópolis in São Paulo state after three instructors failed to fasten a safety rope before she jumped.
Video that circulated online shows the jumpers, wearing white helmets, holding Rodrigues de Freitas by the arms and feet. The woman was released at the bridge’s edge. She fell 40 m (130 ft) and emergency services pronounced her dead on scene.
Three men have been arrested and police are examining whether the incident constitutes culpable homicide, a crime where a person unintentionally causes death but in the course of an act that bears high risk.
The bridge, nicknamed “Skeleton Bridge,” is abandoned and falls under federal jurisdiction. The Secretariat of Federal Assets confirmed it is ready to cooperate with the investigation, while Limeira’s city hall has announced plans to sue the federal government over failure to manage the site.
Local officials say the instructors were from a private rope‑jumping company, though some reports suggest informal groups may have been involved. The incident highlights regulatory and safety gaps in Brazil’s extreme‑sport industry.
