00:02Just hours before she died, 21-year-old Maria Eduarda Rodriguez de Freitas posted what would
00:08become her final message. Who was the crazy person who let me jump off a bridge? The Brazilian student
00:13was joking about the rope-jumping adventure she was about to experience at Ponte do Esqueleto
00:18or Skeleton Bridge in Sao Paulo. What was supposed to be an exciting day with her fiancé ended in
00:24tragedy. But who was Maria? She was studying physical education and sports management while
00:28her friends and family remembered her as energetic and passionate about outdoor activities.
00:33Before the jump, she shared photos from the location, including the bridge and wristbands
00:37marking her jump as authorized. Investigators say Maria was preparing for a 130-foot rope
00:43jump on June 13, 2026 when a critical mistake occurred. Video shows three instructors carrying
00:49her towards the edge of the bridge, but authorities say the safety rope was not attached. Moments
00:54later, she was thrown. Her fiancé was there for what was meant to be a shared adventure.
00:58Instead, he witnessed Maria's fall and was later reported to have needed medical attention
01:02after the trauma. Among the first people to reach Maria was off-duty nurse Reza Diaz. She
01:08climbed down the steep slope and found Maria still alive, breathing heavily with a weak pulse.
01:13Despite efforts to save her, Maria died from her injuries. Police say the operators were not
01:18connected to a licensed company and are investigating how the jump went ahead without proper safety
01:22checks. Three men were later charged with homicide with eventual intent and remain in preventive
01:27custody. Two suspects reportedly told investigators they could not remember when or how the safety rope
01:33was supposed to have been attached. Maria's mother, Valdenia Rodriguez, shared her grief online,
01:38saying the missing rope took her daughter away forever and said Maria was the daughter she was
01:42honoured to call her own for 21 years. As the investigation continues, one question remains. How was Maria
01:48allowed to jump before anyone realised the safety rope was missing?
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