A 21-year-old woman tragically died in a bungee jumping accident due to negligence. Identified as Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, she fell 131 feet from a bridge in Brazil as the bungee jumping staff, now charged with homicide, forgot to tie her to the rope to keep her safe. The video of her being thrown off the bridge by the staff went viral. It shows the last moments of de Freitas, where she is picked up by the staff and is wearing a helmet. However, her body was not tied to the rope to keep her connected at the top.

The incident happened on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at the Skeleton Bridge. At the end of the video, a witness yelled, “Guys, the rope!” but it was too late for de Freitas.

Brazil’s Military Police and a rescue helicopter were called to the scene for the rescue operation. De Freitas died at the scene at the time of the jump. She was a physical education and sports management graduate, and her fiancé was also present there with her. After the accident and news of her death, he got sick and was taken to the emergency room.

According to O Globo, hours before going bungee jumping, de Freitas had posted a photo of the bridge with a caption, “Who was the crazy person who let me jump off a bridge?” Her sarcastic post quickly became a grim reality due to the negligence of the staff, despite being experienced and trained.

Her social media profile has been taken down after the accident. Police detained six people to question and learn more about the accident. Three of these were present at the scene and will be charged with homicide with implied malice. Delegate Andrea Dantas Levy said, “It was a team there that wasn’t regulated; they didn’t even have authorization to be there. They ended up organizing this event.”

He further added, “This fatality happened today, in my perception, due to a failure to verify and supervise the placement of the rope on the victim’s jump.” Meanwhile, the defendants’ attorney said they were experienced for the job, and this was the first fatality in years with the company.

There are risks associated with adventure sports; however, forgetting safety harnesses and equipment points towards negligence. The Limeira City Council filed a complaint against the Brazilian federal government following the incident. The mayor noted, “It is necessary to determine responsibility for the lack of access control to a federal area that has presented known risks for years and still lacks the necessary protection measures.”