A 21-year-old woman died during a bungee-jumping event in Brazil after she was thrown from a bridge without being attached to a safety cord, according to local authorities.
Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas was participating in a bungee-jumping event Saturday on the “Skeleton Bridge” in Limeira, located in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. Authorities say she fell approximately 130 feet, or 40 meters, into a ravine below.
Video of the incident circulating online shows Freitas being escorted onto the platform by two men before being pushed from the bridge. Witnesses can be heard shouting that she was not attached to a safety rope moments before she fell.
Emergency responders were dispatched to the scene, but Freitas was pronounced dead there.
According to local reports, witnesses told Military Police that event staff may have failed to secure Freitas to the required safety equipment before she was sent off the platform.
Prior to the tragedy, Freitas had shared photos and videos from the event on social media, including images of the bridge, participants, equipment, and event setup. Some of the photos reportedly featured signage for Entre Cordas, the company responsible for organizing the bungee-jumping activity.
In one social media post made before the jump, Freitas joked about the experience, writing, “Who was the crazy person that let me jump off a bridge???”
Her fiancé, who was also present at the event, reportedly became ill after learning of her death and required medical attention, according to local media reports.
Authorities say six people connected to the event have been taken into custody, including five men and one woman. Investigators are working to determine exactly what occurred and whether criminal negligence played a role in the fatal incident.
Local reports also indicate that some event organizers allegedly fled the area following the tragedy. Police later located two individuals with the assistance of a helicopter search over a wooded area near the bridge.
The Civil Police department has launched an investigation and will determine whether criminal charges will be filed against those involved.
The incident has sparked outrage and renewed concerns about safety procedures at adventure tourism events as investigators continue examining whether proper protocols were followed before Freitas’ fatal jump.
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