Woman, 21, dies after being thrown from Brazil rope-jump bridge without harness

Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, 21, was buried after dying when two rope-jumping instructors threw her from a bridge in São Paulo state without first harnessing her to safety equipment. She had been rope jumping on Saturday at Ponte do Esqueleto, an abandoned bridge in the municipality of Limeira where tourists practise extreme sports.

The young woman, who aspired to become a physical education teacher, had asked to be launched airplane-style, with two instructors hoisting her above their shoulders as she spread out her arms. Footage shared online shows two men in white helmets launching her into a 40-metre (130ft) abyss without attaching her to any security equipment as an onlooker screams at the instructors to attach her to a cord.

The instructors are wearing harnesses that appear to be attached to a security rope. Police investigator Andrea Levy said the three jumping instructors involved acknowledged De Freitas was not connected to safety ropes when she jumped in the countryside of São Paulo state on Saturday.

Brazil, Limeira

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