New details have emerged following the death of a 21-year-old student who fell during an unlicensed bungee jump event in Brazil, including testimony from an off-duty nurse who said the young woman was still alive when rescuers reached her.
Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, 21, died after falling from an abandoned bridge near São Paulo on Saturday during what authorities described as an illegal bungee jumping operation, as reported by The New York Post.
Video circulating on social media captured the moments before the jump from the structure known locally as “Skeleton Bridge.”
According to reports, staff members allegedly failed to attach the bungee cord before Rodrigues de Freitas was pushed from the approximately 130-foot bridge.
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Among those present at the scene was off-duty nurse Rayza Dias, who immediately attempted to reach Rodrigues de Freitas after the fall.
Dias later described the difficult conditions rescuers faced while trying to get to the base of the bridge.
“I scraped my whole hand because there’s a steep slope down there and only one rope for us to climb down,” Dias told Brazilian television network Domingo Espetacular on Sunday.
“It was all covered in mud. I kept going down, down, we walked all the way,” she said.
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According to Dias, Rodrigues de Freitas was still alive when rescuers reached her.
“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."
Dias became emotional while recounting the events during the interview.
Authorities have since launched a criminal investigation into the incident. Law enforcement officials allege that the jump was conducted by operators working at an unauthorized site.
Three individuals connected to the operation were arrested Sunday and charged with homicide. According to reports, two of the suspects initially fled following the incident and were later located with assistance from a military helicopter.
Authorities have not publicly released the names of the individuals charged.
Investigators are examining how the jump was organized and whether safety procedures were ignored or bypassed before Rodrigues de Freitas was sent from the bridge.
Officials said six people connected to the operation were initially detained. While three suspects were charged, three others who worked at the site were later released without charges.
The incident has generated widespread attention across Brazil, particularly after video footage of the jump spread online.
Rodrigues de Freitas was a university student and was participating in the recreational activity when the accident occurred. Authorities have not indicated whether additional charges could be filed as the investigation continues.
The bridge where the incident occurred has been described as an abandoned structure that was being used for unauthorized adventure activities.
Law enforcement officials continue gathering evidence and interviewing witnesses as they seek to determine the sequence of events that led to the fatal incident.
The case remains under investigation by Brazilian authorities.
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