Woman dies in bungee jump accident in Brazil after staff ‘forget to attach bungee cord’
Henry Samuel
WARNING: Graphic content
A 21-year-old woman in Brazil died after falling off the bridge, allegedly after the staff threw her off the bridge without tying the rope.
Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas was killed on the Ponte do Esqueleto, an abandoned railway bridge in Limeira, São Paulo, in front of horrified witnesses after workers threw her from a 40-foot drop in the “Superman” pose.
Footage of the moments before he fell shows two staff members carrying him horizontally by his arms and legs towards the edge, unaware that his harness was not attached to the main rope.
As he is released, voices can be heard shouting, “Rope, people, rope.”
The camera then moves to show the security line still on the platform as Ms. Rodrigues de Freitas falls to the ground.
Firefighters and paramedics were called, but he was pronounced dead at the scene due to multiple injuries.
Witnesses told military police that the workers forgot to strap on their safety equipment before jumping.
The six people were taken to Limeira’s 2nd Police District and three people were reportedly arrested at the scene. Brazilian media reported that the two people tried to escape to the nearby forest area after the fall, but were caught with the help of a police helicopter.
The jump appeared to involve bungee rope jumping operator Entre Cordas and affiliated trainer brand Ih Voei. Brazilian reports stated that the personnel at the scene were wearing shirts bearing the names of both brands.
While neither of them released a statement to the press on Saturday night, Entre Cordas’ Instagram page, which advertised a “transition to the extraordinary”, was reportedly closed following the tragedy.
Just a few hours ago, Ms. Rodrigues de Freitas of Jandira had posted an exciting post about the trip, sharing pictures of the venue, ID bracelets, and operators.
“Who was the crazy person who let me jump off the bridge?” he wrote next to a photo of the Entre Cordas banner.
Limeira city hall said it would sue Brazil’s federal government, claiming it had been warning for months about dangerous access to the bridge, which it said was under federal responsibility.
Police are investigating whether negligence led to the death of Ms. Rodrigues de Freitas.
Telegraph, London
Take notes directly from our foreign country reporters about things that make headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What’s on in the World Newsletter.
