World2 min(s) read
Published 15:05 14 Jun 2026 GMT
People are pointing out the chilling similarities between two bungee deaths 10 years apart
The Brazilian bungee death has drawn chilling comparisons to a similar tragedy in Spain ten years earlier, with both cases involving alleged safety failures before the jump.
In each incident, investigators say that the bungee equipment was not properly secured before the women fell to their deaths.
Woman falls to her death after bungee operator failure
Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, 21, died on Saturday after falling around 40 meters from Ponte do Esqueleto, also known as Skeleton Bridge, in Limeira, São Paulo.
Police and witness accounts, as well as footage on social media, suggest staff may have forgotten to attach the safety rope before she was launched from the platform.
Witnesses reportedly shouted, “The rope, people, the rope,” as panic erupted at the scene. Emergency crews rushed to the bridge, but Maria was pronounced dead.
Just before the tragedy, Maria had posted about the attraction on social media. She shared images of the bridge and wrote: “Who was the crazy person who let me jump off a bridge???”
The case has now prompted legal action from Limeira City Hall, which says long-standing safety concerns at the site were ignored.
Officials say they want answers over how the alleged failure happened, and whether enough was done to prevent a fatal accident.
Incident draws similarities with death ten years ago
The Brazilian tragedy has also further revived attention on a similar case in Spain, where 23-year-old Londoner Kleyo De Abreu died while bungee jumping from the Tablate Bridge in Lanjaron, Granada, over ten years ago.
According to BBC News, two people were later charged with manslaughter after investigators concluded there had been a communication failure between staff and Miss De Abreu, who jumped before the equipment had been made safe, according to reports.
Police found that one supervisor had been responsible for monitoring 14 participants, which was deemed “not enough” to guarantee safety.
The monitor’s role was to secure the ropes and harness before giving the signal to jump, but after attaching the harness and moving away to tighten the ropes, there was believed to have been a “lack of communication or understanding.”
The police report said: “This jump, performed before the ropes were properly tensioned...could be the cause of the accident.”
Investigators also concluded that the monitor “did not execute their function with due care and precautions.”
In the Spanish case, De Abreu is believed to have struck the lower bridge beneath the jump platform, causing fatal injuries. Her father, Bernard Atwell, described her as “sweet, caring, bubbly, and focused.”
.webp_ke6C2y?tr=cr-169.8.1505.1344,f-webp,q-70,w-100)
.webp_QQJmGo?tr=cr-345.0.1535.1190,f-webp,q-70,w-100)
.webp_ke6C2y?tr=cr-169.8.1505.1344,f-webp,q-70,w-1024)
.webp_QQJmGo?tr=cr-345.0.1535.1190,f-webp,q-70,w-1024)