The mother of 21-year-old Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas has spoken publicly for the first time after her daughter died during a rope jump activity in Brazil. Her emotional message came as investigators continue reviewing what happened at the Skeleton Bridge, where Maria was dropped without a safety rope attached.
Maria Eduarda’s case has drawn attention far beyond Brazil because of the disturbing safety failure alleged by authorities. What was supposed to be an adventure activity instead ended with a young woman’s life cut short in front of witnesses.
The incident happened on Saturday, June 13, at the Ponte do Esqueleto, known locally as Skeleton Bridge. The bridge is located between Limeira and Cordeirópolis, in the countryside of São Paulo.
According to authorities, Maria Eduarda was participating in a rope jump activity when three men dropped her from the bridge. Investigators said the safety rope had not been attached before she was released.
Emergency services, including firefighters and SAMU, responded to the scene. Maria Eduarda was confirmed dead at the location, leaving her family and the wider community devastated.
Maria was originally from Jandira, in the Greater São Paulo area. She had studied physical education and sports management and was known as someone who loved sports, fitness, and outdoor activities.
She also worked at a gym in her hometown, where she was connected to the active lifestyle she cared about so deeply. Friends and loved ones have remembered her as young, full of life, and excited about new experiences.
Just hours before the tragedy, Maria posted photos from the jump location on social media. In one caption, she joked about who had let her come jump off a bridge, a post that has become painful for loved ones to look back on.
On Sunday, her mother, Val Rodrigues, shared photos of her daughter and wrote an emotional message online. She blamed the rope that was never properly used, saying it had taken her daughter away forever.
Val also wrote that her beloved daughter was gone and that only pain and longing remained. In another older post now being shared again, she had described her children as the best part of her life.
Maria Eduarda’s funeral was held Sunday morning at the Municipal Funeral Home in Jandira. She was later buried at the city cemetery as family members, friends, and loved ones said goodbye.
The three men seen handling the jump were arrested shortly after the incident. They were identified as Luis Felipe Feliciano Egoroff, Vitor de Freitas Gonçalves, and Maicon Fernandes Cintra.
Authorities said the men were charged with homicide with possible intent, a charge used when investigators believe someone accepted the risk of causing death. Police are now examining how such a serious safety failure could have happened.
Investigators said the men could not clearly explain why the rope was not attached to Maria before she was released. They also reportedly could not say who was responsible for securing her harness or why no final safety check was completed.
Police said the groups involved appeared to be informal rope jump practitioners rather than official companies, and that they did not have proper authorization to run the activity in the area. As Maria’s mother grieves the loss of her daughter, the case has become a painful warning about the dangers of unregulated extreme sports and the need for accountability when basic safety is ignored.
