Brazilian bungee jumper who fell 130 feet without a rope was still alive when rescuers reached her

A tragic incident occurred near São Paulo, Brazil, where a 21-year-old woman, Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, died following an unlicensed bungee jump from the Ponte do Esqueleto (Skeleton Bridge). The fall, from approximately 130 feet, happened because her safety equipment was not properly secured, leaving her without a bungee cord.

The horrifying event was captured on video, showing three employees lifting Rodrigues de Freitas into position before pushing her off the bridge. Although she was wearing a harness, no rope was attached. Rayza Dias, an off-duty nurse present at the scene, immediately descended the steep embankment to reach the injured student.

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I scraped my whole hand because there’s a steep slope down there and only one rope for us to climb down. It was all covered in mud. I kept going down, down, we walked all the way.

"I scraped my whole hand because there's a steep slope down there and only one rope for us to climb down," Dias recounted to Brazilian television. "It was all covered in mud. I kept going down, down, we walked all the way." Dias confirmed that Rodrigues de Freitas was alive when she reached her, even engaging in a brief conversation. "I even talked to her. I have a habit of joking and saying, ‘Nobody dies on my shift.’ And I told her, ‘Duda [Eduarda], nobody dies on my shift.’ Even though I wasn’t on my shift there," she said.

Emergency medical teams were dispatched, but Rodrigues de Freitas later died from her injuries. A military police helicopter also assisted in the rescue efforts. Authorities have initiated a criminal investigation into the operators of the excursion, which included a guided hike and the jump from the decommissioned bridge. Six individuals were taken for questioning, and three men aged 27, 32, and 42 remain arrested on suspicion of homicide involving recklessness. Lawyers for the arrested men claim the operators were experienced and this was their first fatality, but local authorities state the group lacked necessary credentials and authorization to operate at the bridge.

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I even talked to her. I have a habit of joking and saying, ‘Nobody dies on my shift.’ And I told her, ‘Duda [Eduarda], nobody dies on my shift.’ Even though I wasn’t on my shift there.