Instructors Claim They Experienced a “Blackout” While Preparing Young Woman for Rope Jump: “The Rope…”

Amid growing public attention surrounding the incident, the lead investigator has publicly commented on those involved in the case.

The investigation into the death of Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, 21, during a rope jump in the interior of São Paulo has taken a new turn after the instructors involved gave statements to police. According to the detective in charge of the case, two of the men claimed they experienced a “blackout” during the preparation process and were unable to explain at what point the mistake occurred that led to the tragedy.

The accident happened at Ponte do Esqueleto (Skeleton Bridge), located between the municipalities of Limeira and Cordeirópolis. Maria Eduarda was participating in a rope-jumping technique known as “aviãozinho” (“little airplane”), in which a participant is held by instructors before being launched. However, the safety ropes that should have been attached to her body were never secured.

Detective Speaks About the Instructors Involved in Maria Eduarda’s Tragedy

The approximately 40-meter (131-foot) fall was captured on video by people who were present at the site. According to police, three instructors were arrested and charged with homicide with eventual intent (dolo eventual), a legal concept in Brazilian law in which a person assumes the risk that their actions could result in death.

During questioning, two of the instructors stated that they could not remember when the critical step of fastening the ropes had been skipped.

The ropes have become the central focus of the investigation, as none of them had been attached to the victim. A third instructor claimed that he only assisted with the launch and attempted to distance himself from responsibility for checking the equipment.

“He tried to exempt himself from the responsibility of checking the rope. But it is obvious—the rope is thick,” the detective said.

Instructors’ Defense Responds

The detective also emphasized that, in an activity considered highly dangerous, safety procedures should have been checked multiple times before the jump took place.

Three other individuals involved in organizing the event were also questioned by authorities but were released due to a lack of evidence justifying their arrest.

The instructors’ defense team stated that the men were experienced professionals and that this was reportedly the first fatal accident recorded after years of operating rope-jumping activities.