LIMEIRA, Brazil — Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, the 21-year-old university student who died during a rope-jumping accident in São Paulo state, has been laid to rest following the tragedy that shocked Brazil and drew widespread attention on social media.
Rodrigues de Freitas died after falling about 40 metres from the abandoned “Skeleton Bridge” in the municipality of Limeira on Saturday. Authorities said she was participating in a rope-jumping activity when instructors allegedly failed to attach the safety rope before she was released from the bridge. Emergency responders pronounced her dead at the scene.
Okay News reports that the physical education and sports management student was buried a day after the incident as police continued investigations into the circumstances surrounding her death.
Brazilian authorities have arrested three men in connection with the incident and are examining whether they could face charges linked to homicide with eventual intent, a legal concept that applies when a person assumes the risk that their actions could lead to death.
The accident occurred at the abandoned bridge known locally as the “Skeleton Bridge,” a site frequently used for rope-jumping activities. Local officials have also announced plans to seek accountability over the management of the structure, while federal authorities said they would cooperate with ongoing investigations.
The tragedy has reignited discussions in Brazil about safety standards and oversight for extreme sports activities, with investigators working to determine how the fatal error occurred.
