A 21-year-old woman, Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, died after being thrown from Ponte do Esqueleto in Limeira, São Paulo, during a bungee jumping excursion without her safety rope. An off-duty nurse who tried to help says she was still alive when first r
On Saturday, 21-year-old Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas plunged from Ponte do Esqueleto—Skeleton Bridge—in Limeira, São Paulo, during a bungee jumping excursion that turned deadly in an instant.
The incident went viral after footage showed workers allegedly forgetting to attach her safety rope before she was thrown from the bridge. Without the necessary safety equipment, she fell 131 feet with no way to stop.
Witness accounts and later details from the scene added another layer of shock: Maria was not dead immediately. Off-duty nurse Rayza Dias was there when it happened, and she told local TV network Domingo Espetacular on Sunday that she rushed down to reach the ground to help.
Dias described what it took to get to her. explaining that the slope was steep and that there was only one rope for people to climb down. She said she “scraped [her] whole hand” as she descended and that the area was covered in mud. “It was all covered in mud. I kept going down, down, we walked all the way.”.
When Dias finally reached Maria, she says the woman was still alive. She tried to comfort her while attempting to save her before first responders arrived, even speaking to her directly. Becoming emotional as she recounted it. Dias said she has a habit of joking that “Nobody dies on my shift. ” and she told Maria: “Duda [Eduarda]. nobody dies on my shift.” She added that the moment felt personal because she wasn’t even on duty.
But there was ultimately nothing that could be done. Dias said Maria was pronounced dead at the scene when first responders arrived.
An investigation is ongoing into how the safety rope was not attached before the jump. and authorities are working to understand exactly what went wrong. For now. the case has left unanswered questions hanging over the viral footage—questions about procedure. safety. and how someone can be pulled into a fatal fall so quickly.
Brazil bungee jump Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas Ponte do Esqueleto Skeleton Bridge Limeira São Paulo off-duty nurse Rayza Dias Domingo Espetacular bungee jumping tragedy viral video