Bungee Operators Claim ‘Blackout’ After Model Plunges to Death

​A routine extreme sports excursion turned into a horrific tragedy at the Ponte do Esqueleto (Skeleton Bridge) in Limeira, São Paulo, after a Brazilian teacher and model fell 130 feet to her death because her safety cord was never attached.

​Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas was carried horizontally in a “Superman” pose by instructors before being launched off the abandoned railway bridge. Disturbing video footage of the incident captured horrified onlookers screaming, “The rope people, the rope!” as she fell. Subsequent footage revealed the vital safety line still lying unused on the platform.

​Three crew members—identified locally as Maicon Fernandes Cintra, 42, Luis Felipe Feliciano Egoroff, 32, and Vitor de Freitas Gonçalves, 27—have been arrested on charges of homicide with eventual intent. Following their appearance before a judge, all three men were remanded in custody.

​During police questioning, the workers claimed to have suffered a collective “blackout” during the setup and insisted they could not recall who was responsible for securing the safety harness. Egoroff, who told authorities he earned just £26.50 per jump, stated that the team operated without assigned roles and conducted equipment checks “jointly.” Both Egoroff and Cintra gave identical “I can’t remember” responses when pressed on who was tasked with the final safety clearance.

ADVERTISEMENT

​Defense attorney Rafael Gomes dos Santos defended his clients, stating they were in deep shock. “They cannot explain what happened because they have been doing this for years,” he said. “Nothing like this has ever happened.”

​The tragedy stands in stark contrast to the victim’s final moments. Hours before the fatal jump, Maria Eduarda shared her excitement on Instagram, posting photos of the venue and the event organizers. In one chillingly prophetic post featuring a banner for the operator “Entre Cordas,” she captioned a photo: “Who was the crazy person who let me jump off a bridge?”

​The excursion involved bungee jump-rope operator Entre Cordas and its linked instructor brand, Ih Voei. Following the incident, Entre Cordas deactivated its Instagram page, which had previously promised clients “a jump to the extraordinary.”

​The victim’s mother, Valdenia, expressed her profound grief on social media shortly after the funeral. “That damned rope took you away from me forever,” she wrote. “My beloved daughter, you are gone, and all that remains here is pain and longing.”