A 21-year-old model who died after a bungee jump without a safety cord was reportedly still alive after landing, according to the nurse who attempted to save her. Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas fell 130 feet to her death in front of horrified witnesses in Limeira, São Paulo, Brazil.
Details of the Incident
Videos show Rodrigues de Freitas being carried horizontally by her arms and legs in a 'Superman' pose at the top of Ponte do Esqueleto, an abandoned railway bridge. Workers appeared unaware that she was not connected to the main rope. After she was thrown off, instructors looked down as the camera panned to show the safety line still lying on the platform.
Nurse's Account
Rayza Dias, the nurse who tried to save her, said Rodrigues de Freitas was initially alive when she reached her. Dias stated, 'I scraped my whole hand because there’s a steep slope down there and only one rope for us to climb down.' Upon reaching Rodrigues de Freitas, she had a weak pulse and was breathing heavily.
Arrests and Charges
The men accused of not attaching the safety rope fled after realizing their mistake before being located and arrested in a nearby woodland. Maicon Fernandes Cintra, 42, Luis Felipe Feliciano Egoroff, 32, and Vitor de Freitas Goncalves, 27, said they 'can’t remember' who should have put the safety rope on. They have been charged with homicide.
Legal Action
The city of Limeira announced they are seeking legal action against the Brazilian Government for failing to monitor access to the old railway bridge where the bungee jumps operated.
Family's Grief
Rodrigues de Freitas' mother said after her 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.' Rodrigues de Freitas had uploaded a string of social media posts before the trip, excited about the jump and sharing pictures of the venue.
Social Media Posts
'Who was the crazy person who let me jump off a bridge?' she wrote beside a photograph of an Entre Cordas banner. The jump appeared to involve bungee jump-rope operator Entre Cordas and Ih Voei, a linked instructor brand. Entre Cordas’s Instagram page, which advertised 'a jump to the extraordinary,' was reportedly taken down after the death.
