
Brazil Rope Jump Death: Six Detained, Missing Camera Sought; Floods Kill Two Across Region
Investigators in São Paulo state suspect evidence tampering after a 21-year-old was launched without safety ropes; separate drownings reported in Mexico and Colombia.
Brazilian authorities have detained six people in connection with the death of a young woman who was pushed off a 40-metre bridge without a safety line during a rope jump in the interior of São Paulo state on 13 June. The victim, Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, 21, died at the scene. The case has drawn attention to the unregulated operation of extreme sports in the region.
Three instructors, captured on video propelling Ms Rodrigues de Freitas from the Ponte do Esqueleto in Limeira, were arrested on the day and remain in pre-trial detention after a court rejected habeas corpus requests. They have been charged with intentional homicide under the doctrine of eventual intent—a legal concept that applies when someone assumes the risk of causing death, according to local prosecutors. Police say the rope meant to secure the jumper was not attached, remaining coiled on the platform. Defence lawyers claim their clients had no active role in the fatal mistake and tried to assist after the fall.
On Saturday, 20 June, the Civil Police detained three more individuals: a 29-year-old woman in Rio de Janeiro and two men aged 25 and 27 in Limeira and nearby Indaiatuba. These suspects are alleged to have suppressed evidence, specifically by deleting digital files and concealing the portable camera the victim was wearing to record her jump. The camera has not been recovered and is considered essential to reconstructing the final moments. The group operated informally without official authorisation; federal authorities confirmed the activity was clandestine and are considering demolishing the derelict railway bridge to prevent future use.
Separately, heavy rains in Mexico and Colombia this weekend led to two drownings. In Monterrey, a 27-year-old woman was swept away by the swollen Santa Catarina River on 19 June; her body was located on Saturday by military and civil protection units. In Atlántico department, Colombia, a 26-year-old man disappeared after entering the sea at Puerto Colombia early Saturday; rescuers found his remains hours later. Authorities in both countries warned the public to avoid flooded or unsupervised waters.
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