What was meant to be an adrenaline-filled adventure ended in tragedy after a 21-year-old woman reportedly fell to her death during a bungee jump in Brazil.
Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas had travelled to Limeira in São Paulo and appeared excited about the experience. Just hours before the jump, she shared photos of the abandoned railway bridge, her identification bracelets and the preparations for the activity.
But moments later, everything went horribly wrong.
According to reports, Maria was being prepared for a “Superman” style jump from the Ponte do Esqueleto bridge, a drop of around 130 feet. Footage recorded before the incident shows two staff members carrying her horizontally by her arms and legs toward the edge.
As she was released, shocked voices can be heard shouting, “The rope, people, the rope.”
The camera then revealed that the main safety line had allegedly never been attached.
Maria fell to the ground below and suffered multiple injuries. Firefighters and paramedics rushed to the scene, but she was pronounced dead.
Witnesses told military police that employees had forgotten to connect the safety equipment before the jump.
Authorities later took six people to Limeira’s 2nd Police District for questioning, with Brazilian media reporting that three men were arrested. Two suspects allegedly attempted to flee into nearby woodland but were later captured with assistance from a police helicopter.
The jump operation reportedly involved Entre Cordas and a related instructor brand known as Ih Voei. Staff members at the scene were said to be wearing shirts bearing the names of both companies. Neither organisation had issued a public statement by Saturday night, while reports indicated that Entre Cordas' Instagram page had been taken offline following the tragedy.
In one of her final social media posts, Maria jokingly wrote, “Who was the crazy person who let me jump off a bridge?” alongside a photo featuring an Entre Cordas banner.
Police are now investigating whether negligence played a role in her death.
The tragic incident has sparked questions about safety standards and accountability in adventure tourism, while Maria's final moments have left many in Brazil in shock.