Three instructors charged in bridge-jumping death of woman not secured to rope

Three men have been charged with homicide in the rope-jumping death of a woman who plunged more than 130 feet off a bridge in Limeira, Brazil, without being properly secured to any equipment.

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Luis Felipe Feliciano Egoroff, 32, Vitor de Freitas Goncalves, 27, and Maicon Fernandes Cintra, 42, were arrested Sunday and charged with homicide with eventual intent, local officials said.

They were caught “in flagrante,” or attempting to flee, according to police in Limeira, a city in the eastern part of the state of São Paulo.

Under Brazilian law, this charge applies to cases in which perpetrators did not intend to kill but engaged in a dangerous act that carried a fatal risk. They remain in detention.

Police investigator Andrea Levy told reporters that the three men are jumping instructors. They acknowledged that Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, 21, was not connected to safety ropes, but said they didn’t remember who was tasked with checking her equipment, The Associated Press reported.

In a statement to Brazilian media, their defense attorney said his clients were in shock.

Videos circulating online show Eduarda flying through the air, both arms outstretched, in the moments before her death. The videos show two men hoisting her above their heads and tossing her over the side of a bridge while a third man looks on.

She appears to be wearing a helmet, but no safety cord is visible.

The bridge, called Skeleton Bridge, was once part of a railway line that has been defunct for several years, according to local media reports.

It was not immediately clear whether Eduarda had previous rope-jumping experience.

The sport differs from bungee jumping in the type of cord used. Bungee jumping uses elastic cords that cause a person to bounce vertically in the air. Rope jumping uses climbing ropes that create a pendulum swing.

Dan Osman, the originator of rope jumping, died in 1998 during a jump in Yosemite National Park in California. One of his cords snapped and he fell several hundred feet into a canyon while a horrified friend looked on from above.

Loved ones have posted tributes to Eduarda since her death on Saturday.

“Maria Eduarda left her mark through the dedication, affection, joy and respect with which she treated everyone around her,” read one social media post by local gym Panobianco Academia.

The tribute includes a selfie of Eduarda wearing leggings with the gym’s logo printed on the side.

“Your presence illuminated the environments and your memory will remain forever in our hearts,” the post continued.

Panobianco Academia wrote in a separate post that the gym would be closed on Sunday in Eduarda’s honor.

“Those we love never truly leave us,” the post read. “They remain alive in our memories, in our hearts, and in all the love they left behind.”

Eduarda’s mother posted a short statement on social media addressing her daughter’s tragic death, according to local reports.

“My beloved daughter, today alone I wanted to hug you more than a thousand times,” she wrote. “How much your departure hurts me. I love you eternally, my princess. And thank you so much for being a part of my life for these 21 years. What an honor it was to hear you call me mom. God, thank you for this privilege.”

Citing repeated attempts to secure the area surrounding Skeleton Bridge, city officials said in a statement that they intend to sue the federal government over Eduarda’s death.

Limeira Mayor Murilo Félix said the city council has attempted to adopt local ordinances for more than a year “demanding action from the federal bodies responsible for the area.”

“The tragedy this Saturday (13), which resulted in the death of a 21-year-old woman, makes the continuation of this omission unsustainable and unacceptable,” Félix said in a statement, adding that the federal government is “exclusively” responsible for the bridge.

Federal officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In a previous statement, the governor’s office said Eduarda “did not resist the fall” and that her safety equipment was not properly secured. Local police said she had asked to be launched off the bridge like a plane. She appeared to be holding a GoPro-style camera, according to video footage.

Earlier that morning, Eduarda posted her final words to Instagram, according to local media: “Who was the crazy person who let me jump off a bridge?”