Nurse’s heartbreaking final words to rope jumper as she claims victim was still alive when found
A nurse has claimed that the woman who was thrown to her death from a bridge in Brazil during a doomed rope jump was still alive when she was found.
The devastating news from the city of Limeira has been making global headlines after Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, 21, plunged 130 feet to her death from the Ponte do Esqueleto bridge when the cord that was supposed to suspend her wasn't attached.
The shocking footage of her final moments at the weekend was captured and subsequently posted on social media, with onlookers being heard yelling: “The rope, people, the rope!” as Maria was thrown over the edge of the bridge, which is often nicknamed the 'Skeleton Bridge', by staff.
After it was alleged by witnesses that the rope jump staff forgot to attach the cord to Maria's harness, it has now been claimed by an attending nurse that Maria was actually alive when she was found on the ground.
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Nurse Rayza Dias was one of the first people at the scene, and has since spoken to Brazilian TV network Domingo Espetacular about what she witnessed.
'Nobody dies on my shift'
"It was all covered in mud. I kept going down, down, we walked all the way," she said, before making the chilling claim that Maria was alive when she reached her at the base of the bridge.
“I even talked to her. I have a habit of joking and saying, 'Nobody dies on my shift'," the nurse said, visibly becoming emotional. "And I told her, 'Duda [Eduarda], nobody dies on my shift'. Even though I wasn’t on my shift there."
Arrests made in the wake of Maria's death
Following the tragedy, six people were taken into police custody, with three men having since been arrested.
Local news outlet Globo reports that police are now investigating whether the men are culpable of homicide with eventual intent - which is when someone does not have the direct intention but assumes the risk of killing.
In a statement provided to the police, the staff insisted they didn't know how the woman was thrown from the bridge without a safety rope being attached.
This comes after Maria's mother broke her silence on social media, penning a series of heartbreaking messages in the wake of her daughter's untimely death.
'That damned rope took you away from me forever'
One post saw her say: “That damned rope took you away from me forever.
“My beloved daughter, only today I wanted to hug you more than a thousand times. How it’s hurting me your departure.”
Another post on Instagram saw her say she wanted to hug her ‘beloved daughter’ more than a thousand times, saying that her daughter’s death ‘hurts her’.
She continued: “I love you eternally, my princess. And thank you so much for being a part of my life for these 21 years. What an honour it was to hear you call me mom. God, thank you for this privilege.”
Timeline of accidents at Brazil's Skeleton Bridge
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.
Topics: World News
Emily Puckering