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Published 12:50 14 Jun 2026 GMT
Officials preparing legal action over bridge safety after woman was thrown to her death when bungee crew allegedly failed to attach safety rope
A Brazilian city is planning to take legal action over safety concerns at a popular bridge attraction after a 21-year-old woman was allegedly launched from a rope jump platform without a safety rope attached.
Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas died on Saturday morning after falling from a height of around 40 meters from Ponte do Esqueleto, known as Skeleton Bridge, in Limeira, São Paulo.
According to Military Police and witness accounts, employees operating the attraction may have forgotten to secure the rope before Maria was pushed from the platform.
Disturbing footage circulating on social media reportedly captured the horrifying moments before and after the jump.
In the video, the young woman is seen being escorted toward the structure by staff members before being launched from the platform. Seconds later, panic erupts among those present.
Per reports, witnesses heard people urgently yelling: "The rope, people, the rope," cited by The Sun.
Emergency crews from the Fire Department and Mobile Emergency Care Service (SAMU) rushed to the scene, but Maria was pronounced dead.
Maria's final social media posts
Hours before the tragedy, Maria documented her visit to the attraction on social media.
The 21-year-old, from Jandira in São Paulo state, shared photos of the bridge, identification wristbands for the activity, and images of company staff carrying out jumps using proper safety equipment.
One Instagram story featured a banner belonging to the company operating at the site.
Alongside the image, she wrote: "Who was the crazy person who let me jump off a bridge???"
Arrests made as investigation continues
Maria's fiancé was reportedly at the bridge when the accident happened and required medical assistance after learning of her death.
Police said six people were arrested following the incident as investigators worked to determine exactly how the alleged safety failure occurred.
Police also confirmed that two men fled the scene immediately after the accident and were later located in a wooded area with assistance from the Águia police helicopter, Bored Panda reported.
Three people reportedly remained in custody as the investigation continued.
The case has since been transferred to the 2nd Police District of Limeira.
The men seen in videos from the scene appeared to be wearing shirts associated with the companies Entre Cordas and Ih Voei.
At the time of reporting, neither company had publicly commented on the incident.
City hall blames the lack of action over bridge safety
Following the tragedy, Limeira City Hall announced plans to sue the Federal Government, arguing that officials had failed to address long-standing safety concerns surrounding Ponte do Esqueleto.
According to city officials, responsibility for inspections, maintenance, and access control at the bridge falls under federal authorities.
The city claimed repeated requests for safety measures had gone unanswered. "No concrete action has been taken," the administration said.
Mayor Murilo Félix said the fatal accident had highlighted concerns that had existed for years.
"Unfortunately, the federal government's omission has just resulted in yet another tragedy in Limeira," he said.
He also added: "It is necessary to determine responsibility for the lack of access control to a federal area that has presented known risks for years and still lacks the necessary protection measures."
Officials say the investigation must not only determine how Maria was allegedly launched without a safety rope attached, but also whether enough had been done to prevent known dangers at the site.
Despite the fatal accident, future events at Ponte do Esqueleto were reportedly still being promoted online in the days that followed.
The attraction had been charging R$180 (around $35) per jump and had additional dates scheduled, including an event planned for July 11.














