Investigators alleged the 21-year-old was thrown from a bridge without being attached to safety ropes
Credit: Limeira City Hall
NEED TO KNOW
- Three instructors have been charged after a 21-year-old woman died during a rope jump in Brazil on Saturday, June 13
- Investigators said she was not attached to safety ropes before the jump
- The instructors allegedly could not recall who was responsible for checking her equipment
Three instructors are facing homicide charges in Brazil after a 21-year-old woman died during a rope jump on Saturday, June 13.
Luis Felipe Feliciano Egoroff, 32, Vitor de Freitas Goncalves, 27, and Maicon Fernandes Cintra, 42, were arrested and charged with homicide with eventual intent following the death of Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, according to NBC News.
The men were detained on Sunday, June 14, after authorities alleged they attempted to flee. They remain in custody as of Monday, June 15. Under Brazilian law, the charge applies to cases in which someone engages in conduct that carries a fatal risk, even if there was no intent to kill, the outlet reported.
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Their arrests came one day after de Freitas' fatal fall from the Ponte do Esqueleto, or Skeleton Bridge, in Limeira, a municipality in São Paulo state. The 21-year-old had signed up for a guided rope-jumping experience from the disused railway bridge, according to Brazilian outlets G1 and Folha de Pernambuco.
The sport differs from conventional bungee jumping because participants are secured with climbing ropes that swing them beneath the structure, rather than elastic cords that cause a bouncing motion, according to the Associated Press.
Police investigator Andrea Levy alleged the three men acknowledged that de Freitas was not connected to safety ropes before the jump. They reportedly told authorities they could not remember who had been responsible for checking her equipment before she was sent off the bridge, according to NBC News.
Witnesses alleged to Brazil's Military Police that de Freitas was thrown from the bridge without a rope attached and fell approximately 40 meters, or 131 feet. Emergency crews, including a police helicopter, responded to the scene, but she died there, according to G1.
Videos shared online appear to show the moments leading up to the tragedy. In footage described by G1 and Folha de Pernambuco, de Freitas can be seen wearing a helmet as staff members carry her toward the edge of the bridge before throwing her over.
Other videos appear to show two men lifting her above their heads while a third stands nearby, while no safety cord is visible in the footage, according to NBC News and local media reports. Moments after the fall, a witness filming the jump pointed to a rope left behind on the bridge and shouted, "Guys, the rope!" the outlets reported.
Authorities have suggested the fatal incident may have stemmed from a breakdown in safety procedures.
"It was a team there that wasn't regulated; they didn't even have authorization to be there,” Delegate Andrea Dantas Levy reportedly told G1. “They ended up organizing this event, and this fatality happened today, in my perception, due to a failure to verify and supervise the placement of the rope on the victim's jump.”
The three men's defense attorney said this is the first fatality in the years they've been in operation, per G1.
The investigation has also prompted broader questions about the bridge itself and how the site was being used.
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The Limeira City Council plans to file a complaint against Brazil's federal government, arguing that the area had long presented known risks and lacked adequate protections, according to G1.
"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," Mayor Murilo Félix said, according to The Mirror U.K.
Before her death, de Freitas had recently graduated in physical education and sports management and purchased the guided jumping experience from the bridge, according to G1.
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