Staff who ’forgot to attach safety rope’ to woman made comment to police after her death

The staff who were running a rope jump in Brazil where a woman fell to her death have spoken to the police.

21-year-old Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas fell to her death while rope jumping from a bridge named Ponte do Esqueleto, 'Skeleton Bridge', in the city of Limeira.

Rope jumping is similar to bungee jumping, except the rope is not elasticated.

Footage of the harrowing incident shows the woman being held aloft by staff as she did a Superman pose and carried towards the edge before she went over.

Moments after she dropped a voice could he heard shouting: "The rope, people, the rope!"

Tragically, it appears as though Maria was not attached to a rope that would have controlled her descent. Paramedics were called to the scene, but she died of the injuries sustained in the fall and three people were arrested.

Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas died of her injuries at the scene (Facebook)

Witnesses claim that the rope jump staff forgot to attach a rope to Maria's harness and six people were placed in handcuffs by police, though three were later released.

Luis Felipe Feliciano Egoroff, 32, Vitor de Freitas Gonçalves, 27, and Maicon Fernandes Cintra, 42, were charged with homicide with implied malice.

In Brazil, this charge means that police believe they didn't intend to kill Maria, but their action mean they assume responsibility for the risk that led to her death.

Local outlet acidadeOn reports that the three staff members have since spoken to police, with their legal representative calling what happened a 'sad fatality' and saying the rope jump staff had worked for years without a history of accidents.

In a statement provided to the police, the staff said they didn't know how the woman was thrown from the bridge without a safety rope being attached.

Police have said that two men who had the job of preparing people for jumps claimed not to remember what had happened in the moments leading up to the fall.

"They can't remember what the mistake was there, who should have put the rope in place, if there was no supervision. They can't remember," police said.

Two of the three people arrested say they don't remember what happened before the woman fell, a third said the rope was not his responsibility (NBC News)

"They are completely bewildered by the situation because they have been doing this for a long time and nothing like this had ever happened before."

Police investigating the matter have said a rope that was supposed to be attached to a harness Maria was wearing was coiled up on the floor.

The staff said Maria had not been the first jump they worked on that day, and a third person who had been arrested had told them the safety rope was not his responsibility and he'd only been called on to assist the others.

However, police investigators said he should have been able to see the safety rope wasn't fitted, as lead investigator Andréa Dantas said 'the rope is very visible' and 'it would have been clear that it wasn't properly in place'.

The case remains under investigation and police are still awaiting the results of forensic reports.

It has also led to renewed attention on Skeleton Bridge, with Maria's death being the third major accident at the site in two years.

Timeline of accidents at Brazil's Skeleton Bridge

Brazil's Skeleton Bridge (NBC News)

Ponte do Esqueleto, nicknamed Skeleton Bridge, was meant to be part of Brazil’s Federal Railway Network (RFFSA).

It’s been abandoned for around 30 years. However, it has remained popular with extreme sports enthusiasts, and this isn’t the first tragedy that has taken place there.

According to O Tempo, one businessman claimed the bridge receives 500 visitors a month.

April 2024

Mum-of-one Kelly Stefani de Oliveira Alves, 39, is cycling with her husband on the Skeleton Bridge when she loses her balance as her foot touches a low wall.

Tragically, she falls off the bridge and drops 15 metres with her bike, dying at the scene and leaving behind a seven-year-old son.

Following the accident, Brazil’s Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services (MGI) asks for the bridge to be closed and for danger signs to warn people not to go on it.

Nevertheless, activities at the site resumed.

August 2025

Two women fall from the Skeleton Bridge and suffer serious injuries.

One woman is taken to Santa Casa de Limeira hospital with critical injuries. Another suffers multiple fractures throughout her body.