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Three people could potentially be charged following the death of a 21-year-old woman after jump rope instructors allegedly lowered her off a bridge without using safety ropes to stop her from falling, authorities said.
Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, a 21-year-old student, died Saturday during a jump rope event on an abandoned bridge about 90 miles northwest of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Police investigator Andrea Levy told reporters on Monday that three instructors involved in the jump acknowledged that Rodriguez de Freitas was not attached to any safety equipment before being lowered from the bridge.
“They don’t remember if they forgot to attach [the ropes]Or who should have done it, or who failed to check. But the fact is that the ropes were not attached to it,” Levy said.
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Ponte do Escalato, or “Skeleton Bridge”, is located in São Paulo, Brazil. (Google Maps)
The Associated Press reported that three trainers were arrested after the incident and may face criminal charges.
Brazilian authorities said the three trainers were arrested on suspicion of murder with “ultimate intent”, a legal concept under Brazilian law that generally applies when a person accepts the risk that death could occur. According to Brazilian outlet G1, citing investigators, the trainers were charged at the scene.
Investigators said Rodrigues de Freitas requested to launch “aeroplane style” from the bridge, with two trainers lifting him above his shoulders while he extended his arms.
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Video shared online shows two men wearing helmets throwing a young woman off an abandoned bridge moments before she fell to her death. The trainers appear to be wearing harnesses attached to safety lines.
Authorities said Rodriguez de Freitas fell about 130 feet.
A picture of a bungee jumping elastic is shown here. (Giovanni Mereghetti/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Brazilian media reported that Rodrigues de Freitas had purchased a guided hiking tour that included rope jumping from an abandoned bridge.
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Jumping rope is an extreme sport that is different from traditional bungee jumping. Instead of elastic cords that create vertical bounce, jumping rope uses low-stretch climbing ropes that are designed to transform the fall into a pendulum-like swing.
The city of Limeira identified Rodrigues de Freitas as a resident of Zandira and issued a statement expressing condolences to his family.
“In this time of pain, the city of Limira stands in solidarity with the young woman’s family, friends and loved ones,” municipal officials said in a statement Saturday.
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The city said it would cooperate with authorities investigating the incident.
Rodrigues de Freitas was buried on Sunday.
The local police is investigating the incident as a murder. (Facebook/@Comsoc Limeira)
Levy told the Brazilian television program “Jornal Nacional” that investigators were looking into whether the group that performed the jump was authorized to work at the site. According to G1, Levy said investigators believe a failure to verify the location of a safety rope led to the death.
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In a statement quoted by G1, lawyers for the three trainers said their clients were experienced in conducting the activity and that the incident was the first fatality in their years of operation.
Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the apparent safety failure, including who was responsible for ensuring participants were properly secured before the jump.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
