6 Arrested After Video Captures Bungee Jumper Thrown From ‘Skeleton’ Bridge Without Cord

Six people have been arrested after shocking video footage captured the moment 21-year-old Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas was hurled from Brazil’s notorious “Skeleton Bridge” without her safety rope attached. The June 13 tragedy at the abandoned Ponte do Esqueleto in Limeira, São Paulo state, has sparked nationwide outrage, a dramatic helicopter pursuit of fleeing suspects, and heated legal debate over charges of homicide with eventual intent.

Eduarda, a physical-education student from Jandira who aspired to become a PE teacher, arrived excited for the commercial rope jump organised by Entre Cordas and Ih Voei. In chilling multi-angle footage viewed millions of times, three helmeted crew members carry her to the edge of the 40-metre (131-foot) federal viaduct. Helmet secured, she spreads her arms in an enthusiastic “airplane” pose. They launch her into the abyss. The rope remains coiled uselessly on the platform. Onlookers scream “Attach the cord!” seconds too late.

She struck the ground below but was still alive. Off-duty nurse Rayza Dias rushed to her side and performed CPR, pleading, “Nobody dies on my shift.” Eduarda succumbed to her catastrophic injuries at the scene. Her mother later shared a heartbreaking message that has gone viral: “That damned rope took you from me forever.”

Brazilian police acted swiftly. Six individuals linked to the unlicensed operators were detained. When two suspects fled into dense woods near the bridge, officers deployed a helicopter for an aerial chase, dramatically locating and arresting them. During interrogation, investigators revealed the crew “can’t remember who should have attached the rope”—a statement that has intensified public fury and skepticism about basic safety protocols.

Three instructors now face homicide charges under the doctrine of dolus eventualis (eventual intent), meaning prosecutors allege they foresaw the possibility of death yet proceeded, accepting the lethal risk through gross negligence. The casual execution visible on camera—no checks, no confirmations—bolsters the case. This marks at least the third fatality at the unregulated site in recent years, where informal jumps charged around R$180 with zero permits or oversight.

Eduarda was buried on Sunday amid widespread mourning from family, friends and her university community. While loved ones grieve the loss of a vibrant, adventurous young woman, social media demands maximum punishment, condemning the “unforgivable staff stupidity.” The case has exposed years of ignored warnings about illegal rope-jump operations on federal property and renewed calls for a ban on unregulated extreme sports.

As the investigation examines training records and company practices, one fact remains crystal clear: a single, fundamental safety step was never taken. The world watches to see whether Brazilian justice will deliver accountability matching the horror captured on film.