**21-Year-Old Brazilian Woman Dies After Bungee Jump Staff Fail to Attach Safety Cord**

*Limeira, São Paulo State — June 2026*

A 21-year-old Brazilian woman has died in a tragic accident after bungee jump operators allegedly failed to attach her safety cord before launching her from a bridge in southeastern Brazil, authorities and local media reported.

The victim, identified as Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, fell approximately 40 meters (around 130 feet) from the so-called “Skeleton Bridge” in Limeira, São Paulo State, during what was intended to be an extreme sports activity. Investigators say she was released into the jump without being properly secured to the elastic safety system that should have arrested her fall.

According to police and eyewitness accounts, the young woman was taken to the edge of the bridge by instructors operating an unlicensed adventure tourism setup. At the moment of the jump, the safety rope was reportedly not attached to her harness. Video footage circulating online appears to show staff handling her before she is pushed from the platform, followed by immediate panic among onlookers who realized the equipment had not been secured.

Authorities confirmed that the operation was not officially authorized and lacked basic safety oversight. The incident has been described by investigators as a severe breach of safety protocols in a high-risk activity.

Emergency services were called to the scene shortly after the fall. A nurse who responded reportedly attempted to provide immediate assistance, but the woman suffered catastrophic injuries and was pronounced dead at the site.

Some reports indicate that she may have shown faint signs of life shortly after the impact before succumbing to her injuries, though officials have not confirmed these details.

Brazilian authorities have arrested multiple individuals connected to the operation, including instructors and organizers. They are facing charges related to negligent homicide and gross safety violations. Investigators say at least some of those involved attempted to flee the scene before being apprehended. ([News.com.au][4])

Police are also examining whether the company responsible for the activity was operating illegally and how such a serious equipment failure occurred in a supervised extreme sports setting.

Public reaction and safety concerns

The incident has sparked widespread outrage in Brazil and beyond, particularly over the lack of regulation at informal adventure tourism sites. Local officials have called for stricter enforcement of safety standards at abandoned or repurposed structures used for extreme sports.

Family members of the victim have expressed profound grief, describing the incident as a preventable tragedy that resulted from negligence and oversight failures.