Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, a 21-year-old aspiring physical education teacher, died Saturday after being thrown from a bridge in Sao Paulo state, Brazil. The incident occurred at Ponte do Esqueleto, an abandoned bridge in the municipality of Limeira where tourists practice extreme sports. De Freitas had requested to be launched airplane style, with two instructors hoisting her above their shoulders as she spread her arms.
Viral footage shows two instructors in white helmets launching the young woman into a 40-meter abyss without attaching her to any security equipment, even as an onlooker screamed at them to attach her to a cord. While the instructors wore harnesses that appeared to be attached to security ropes, De Freitas was not connected to any safety gear. Rope jumping differs from bungee jumping by using low-stretch climbing ropes that convert a fall into a horizontal pendulum swing rather than a vertical bounce.
Police have arrested three men who worked for the company offering the jumps. An investigator stated that the instructors acknowledged the woman was not connected to safety ropes, though they could not recall if they forgot to attach them or who failed to check. The investigation could lead to murder or manslaughter charges. De Freitas was buried on Sunday.