A 21-year-old model who died after a bungee jump without a cord was reportedly still alive immediately after the fall. Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas plunged 130 feet to her death in front of horrified onlookers in Limeira, São Paulo, Brazil, after workers failed to properly secure her safety harness.
Details of the Incident
Videos show her being carried horizontally by her arms and legs at the top of Ponte do Esqueleto, an abandoned railway bridge. Staff members seemed unaware that she was not connected to the main rope.
Nurse's Account
A nurse who attempted to save her said she was initially alive when reached. Rayza Dias stated: "I scraped my whole hand because there's a steep slope down there and only one rope for us to climb down." Rodrigues de Freitas had a weak pulse and was breathing heavily when Dias arrived. She died shortly afterward and was buried in São Paulo on Sunday, June 14.
Family's Grief
Rodrigues de Freitas' mother said after the funeral: "That damned rope took you away from me forever. My beloved daughter, you are gone, and all that remains here is pain and longing. I will love you forever." The model had posted on social media before the trip, excited about the jump and sharing pictures of the venue. "Who was the crazy person who let me jump off a bridge?" she wrote beside a photo of an Entre Cordas banner.
Arrests and Charges
The men accused of not attaching the safety rope fled after realizing their mistake but were later found and arrested in a nearby woodland. Maicon Fernandes Cintra, 42, Luis Felipe Feliciano Egoroff, 32, and Vitor de Freitas Goncalves, 27, claimed they "can't remember" who should have attached the safety rope. They have been charged with homicide. The city of Limeira said it is seeking legal action against the Brazilian government for failing to monitor access to the old railway bridge where the bungee jumps operated.
