The mother of 21-year-old Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, who died after jumping from a bridge without a safety rope during a rope jump activity, has spoken publicly for the first time. Val Rodrigues made a post on social media and shared photos of her daughter.

The case of Maria Eduarda has gained attention around the world. She was thrown from the “Ponte do Esqueleto” (Skeleton Bridge), located between the cities of Limeira and Cordeirópolis, in the countryside of São Paulo, Brazil.

The incident happened last Saturday (13). Maria Eduarda was dropped from the bridge by three men during what was supposed to be a rope jump activity. However, they forgot to attach the safety rope to her. As a result, she fell about 40 meters straight to the ground. Emergency services, including firefighters and SAMU, confirmed she died at the scene.

Mother’s emotional reaction

Maria Eduarda was only 21 years old and originally from Jandira, in the Greater São Paulo area. She had a degree in physical education and sports management. She was passionate about sports and outdoor activities and worked at a gym in her hometown.

Just hours before the incident, she posted photos from the jumping location, showing her identification wristbands and joking in one caption: “Who was the crazy one who let me come jump off a bridge???”

On Sunday (14), her mother Val Rodrigues shared an emotional message on social media along with two photos of her daughter. She wrote: “That damn rope! It took you away from me forever.”

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

In another older post, Val expressed her love for her children, saying: “My children are the best part of me and proof that I did something right in life.”

Maria Eduarda’s funeral was held Sunday morning at the Municipal Funeral Home in Jandira, followed by burial at the city cemetery.

Men involved could not explain what happened

Social media videos show the moment Maria Eduarda was dropped from the bridge. The three instructors seen carrying and releasing her were arrested on Saturday (13) shortly after the incident.

The men are identified as Luis Felipe Feliciano Egoroff (32), Vitor de Freitas Gonçalves (27), and Maicon Fernandes Cintra (42). They were charged in flagrante with homicide with possible intent (dolo eventual), meaning they accepted the risk of causing death.

In the videos, the men can be seen wearing shirts with the names “Entre Cordas” and “Ih Voei.” However, according to civil police, these are informal groups of rope jump practitioners, not official companies.

Investigators also said the group had no authorization to conduct such activities in the area. Despite this, they gathered around 100 people for the jumping event on Saturday (13).

The suspects could not explain why the rope was not attached to Maria Eduarda. They also said they did not remember who was responsible for securing her harness and could not explain why there was no final safety check before she was pushed.

Rope jump is a sport where a person jumps from a high place attached to a rope system similar to climbing gear. Unlike bungee jumping, which uses elastic cords that bounce, rope jump stops the fall in a more controlled way, causing the person to swing instead.

The case is still under investigation, and witnesses are expected to be questioned.