Mother of 21-year-old rope-jump victim reacts to daughter's death

The mother of a young woman who died while rope jumping off a shuttered bridge in Brazil has issued a series of heartbreaking statements, lamenting how much her daughter’s sudden death has ‘hurt’ her.

On 13 June, Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, a 21-year-old, took part in an extreme sport on ‘Skeleton Bridge’ in Ponte do Esqueleto, on the border of Limeira and Cordeirópolis, in the interior of São Paulo, Brazil.

The BBC reported that the woman was cast off the abandoned bridge by three men who reportedly failed to notice they had not attached a safety rope to the harness tied to her abdomen.

The physical education and sports management graduate, who was held in a ‘Superman’ pose with her arms and legs in a horizontal position, plummeted 130ft off the bridge.

Rodrigues de Freitas hadn't been attached to a safety rope, according to reports (NBC)

A nurse who was also supposed to jump, allegedly rushed to tend to her on the ground, telling police she tried to resuscitate the victim before paramedics and firefighters arrived on the scene and pronounced her dead.

Portal Leo Dias reported that the victim’s mother, Valdenia Rodrigues, has since taken to social media to share a series of statements, including one which read: “That damn rope took you away from me forever.

“My beloved daughter, you are gone and all that remains here is pain and longing. I love you forever.”

In another heartbreaking message, the grieving woman thanked her child for being part of her life for 21 years.

The 21-year-old's mother has released statements (Facebook)

“My beloved daughter, today alone I wanted to hug you more than a thousand times. How much your departure hurts me,” she typed, as per the publication.

“I love you eternally, my princess. And thank you so much for being a part of my life for these 21 years. What an honour it was to hear you call me mom. God, thank you for this privilege,” she added.

The publication reported that she also reposted heartfelt condolence messages.

The three men organising the victim’s rope jump, identified as Luis Felipe Feliciano Egoroff, 32, Vitor de Freitas Gonçalves, 27, and Maicon Fernandes Cintra, 42, have been charged by police with homicide with implied malice.

The charge means that while officials suggest the suspects did not intend to kill Rodrigues de Freitas, they do hold them responsible for the risk which caused her death.

The victim was later pronounced dead on the scene (NBC)

According to a local outlet, the suspects, who deny that they were trying to flee the scene when they were captured, could not explain what went wrong during the woman’s rope jump, which is similar to bungee jumping.

Police continue to investigate whether the incident was a result of negligence.

So-called ‘Skeleton Bridge’ falls under the responsibility of the federal government of Brazil's Secretariat of Federal Assets (SPU).

It said it was 'available to assist the authorities in the investigations’.

Police have launched an investigation into the incident (NBC)

Meanwhile, the City Hall of Limeira (SP) announced it would sue the federal government for failing to adequately manage the bridge.

It said it ‘had been adopting administrative measures and demanding action from the federal agencies responsible for the area’, as per the BBC.

Rodrigues de Freitas' death ‘makes the continuation of this omission unsustainable and unacceptable’, the statement added.

Timeline of accidents at Brazil's Skeleton Bridge

Ponte do Esqueleto, nicknamed Skeleton Bridge, was meant to be part of Brazil’s Federal Railway Network (RFFSA).

It’s been abandoned for around 30 years. However, it has remained popular with extreme sports enthusiasts, and this isn’t the first tragedy that has taken place there.

According to O Tempo, one businessman claimed the bridge receives 500 visitors a month.

April 2024

Mum-of-one Kelly Stefani de Oliveira Alves, 39, was cycling with her husband on the Skeleton Bridge in April 2024 when she lost her balance as her foot touched a low wall.

Tragically, she fell off the bridge and dropped 15 metres with her bike, dying at the scene and leaving behind a seven-year-old son.

Following the accident, Brazil’s Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services (MGI) asked for the bridge to be closed and for danger signs to warn people not to go on it.

Nevertheless, activities at the site resumed.

August 2025

Two women fell from the Skeleton Bridge and suffered serious injuries in August 2025.

One woman was taken to Santa Casa de Limeira hospital with critical injuries. Another suffered multiple fractures throughout her body.