Three guides have been charged with murder after allegedly pushing 21-year-old Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas off a 40-meter-high bridge without a safety harness.
A total of six people have been arrested and questioned in connection with Maria’s death in Limeira, near São Paulo, on June 13. Among them, three instructors—Luis Felipe Feliciano Egoroff, 32, Vitor de Freitas Goncalves, 27, and Maicon Fernandes Cintra, 42—have been charged with murder.
These three men are believed to be the same individuals who appear in the viral video in which they are seen lifting Maria and pushing her off the 40-meter-high Skeleton Bridge, causing her fatal fall because she was not wearing a safety harness.
Two of the three guides fled as soon as they realized what had happened to Maria, while the victim’s fiancé watched in horror.
A military helicopter located the two fugitives in a nearby forest.
Police reported that two of the main suspects claimed to have suffered from “temporary amnesia” and did not remember fastening their seatbelts. “They said they didn’t remember where or when the mistake occurred, or who was supposed to fasten the seatbelt but didn’t. The third person (the one holding Maria’s legs) said he was only called to help push,” stated Officer Andréa Dantas Levy.
The other three people who were arrested were employees who handed out wristbands to customers in a tent next to the bungee jumping area; they were later released.
Maria and her fiancé booked a guided tour with a private company that included bungee jumping. They paid $36 per jump, plus an additional $30 to use their GoPro camera, provided by the company, to record the experience. The device was not found at the base of the bridge.
Local authorities stated that the bungee jumping company was operating without a license and confirmed that the fatal accident occurred due to a lack of inspection and supervision of the placement of the safety harness at the time of the victim’s jump.
According to a nurse who was nearby and rushed to Maria’s aid, the victim was still breathing immediately after the fall, but died at the scene from multiple injuries. Her fiancé was hospitalized after suffering shock.
The three main suspects remained in custody before their murder trial, on the grounds that they had attempted to flee and there was concern that “their release could lead to the repetition of similar dangerous behavior,” according to Judge Paulo Henrique Stahlberg Natal.
If found guilty, they could face prison sentences of between 6 and 30 years.
The Skeleton Bridge, built 30 years ago for a now disused railway line, has become a popular destination for extreme sports enthusiasts.
The Limeira city council plans to file a complaint with the Brazilian federal government over the lack of safety around the abandoned bridge, despite long-standing concerns about its potential risks.
