Third Death at Abandoned Ponte do Esqueleto – Why Was This Illegal Rope Jump Operation Still Running? Brazil Officials Under Fire

The preventable death of 21-year-old Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas on June 13 at Ponte do Esqueleto has exposed a ᴅᴇᴀᴅly pattern of neglect at Brazil’s notorious “Skeleton Bridge.” This marks at least the third fatality—and possibly the fourth—in roughly three years at the abandoned federal viaduct between Limeira and Cordeirópolis in São Paulo state, where unregulated rope-jump operations have thrived despite repeated warnings.1

Eduarda’s fall was captured in horrifying detail: crew from Entre Cordas and Ih Voei launched her 40 meters without the safety rope attached. The cord lay coiled on the platform as she plunged. Witnesses screamed “The rope!” too late. She died at the scene. Six people linked to the operators were arrested; three face homicide charges with eventual intent. Two fled into woods but were tracked by helicopter.

The bridge, federal property and never completed, has long been a magnet for extreme sports enthusiasts. Locals report multiple prior tragedies, including two women gravely injured in August last year. Yet the informal rope-jump events continued, charging around R$180 per jump with no formal regulation or mandatory oversight. Brazilian law does not explicitly prohibit the activity, but operators have operated in a gray zone without permits or safety audits.1

Limeira’s mayor has now accused the federal government of “omission” in maintaining the structure, controlling access, and enforcing safety. The city plans to sue federal authorities, arguing years of ignored warnings allowed the danger to persist. “This bridge has been a problem for years,” officials note, highlighting how an abandoned site became a de facto adventure park without accountability.

Why did authorities allow it to continue? The viral video and Eduarda’s mother’s anguished post—“That damned rope took you from me forever”—have turned grief into a national reckoning. Critics argue that “unregulated” equals “illegal” when lives are at stake: no licensing, no double-check protocols, no independent inspectors. Previous incidents should have triggered shutdowns, yet the operation ran routinely until catastrophe struck.

Eduarda, a physical-education student from Jandira, was buried Sunday amid national mourning. As investigations probe training records and federal responsibility, one question dominates: how many more deaths will it take before Brazil treats extreme-sports safety as non-negotiable? The fury is justified—and long overdue.