Shocking video captured the fatal moment a young woman fell from a bridge during a rope jump in Brazil after, authorities say, the safety cord was not attached.
The victim was identified as 21-year-old Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, a model who had posted enthusiastically on social media ahead of the jump.
She was taking part in the activity from the Ponte do Esqueleto, a bridge in Limeira, in São Paulo state, where participants reportedly jump from a platform using rope-jump equipment rather than a traditional elastic bungee cord.
Footage shows Ms Rodrigues de Freitas holding her arms out to the sides while three instructors raise her up, carry her toward the edge, and then send her off the bridge.
Moments later, witnesses can be heard reacting in panic after realizing something had gone terribly wrong.
‘the rope, people, the rope!’
The rope had not been secured to her and was left on the bridge unattached, according to local reports and police accounts.
Photos were also shared to her Instagram account shortly before the incident, including one showing the wristbands she had received for the jump.
In another post, she wrote a message that took on a devastating meaning after the tragedy at Ponte do Esqueleto.
“Who was the crazy person who let me come jump off a bridge?”
Emergency crews were called to the scene at the Skeleton Bridge Trail, but she was declared dead there after responders were unable to save her. Police said the cause of death was politrauma after a fall of roughly 40 metres.
Afterward, her body was taken to the Legal Medical Institute as authorities began examining the circumstances of the incident, including whether criminal charges may follow.
According to local reports, six people were detained at the location, with three remaining in custody after the incident and two allegedly attempting to flee before being found in a nearby wooded area.
Investigators are also looking into whether negligence played a role in the fatal accident.
Local coverage has reported that the company involved did not have the paperwork required to regularize the activity at the site, and police are assessing the responsibility of everyone involved in organizing the jump.
CNN Brasil reported that the Instagram account linked to the company running the activity has since been removed, and a WhatsApp group used to share information about the jumps was also deleted.
The incident has further raised concerns over who is responsible for access to the bridge, prompting a dispute between the Limeira city administration and the federal government.
City hall in Limeira said it intends to take legal action against the federal government over public access to the structure, arguing that the bridge is under federal authority and that warnings about the dangers had been issued for months. The municipality said it had already been seeking action since 2025 and that responsibility for supervision, maintenance and access control lies with the federal government.