Woman Dies After Rope Jumping Instructors Neglect Safety Harness on Brazil Bridge
A 21-year-old woman fell to her death during a rope-jumping activity on the Skeleton Bridge in São Paulo State after operators failed to secure her to the safety rope.
A 21-year-old woman from Jandira, São Paulo, died on Saturday after a rope-jumping session on the abandoned Ponte do Esqueleto, known locally as the Skeleton Bridge, about 100 miles northwest of São Paulo city. Police reports indicate the bridge is roughly 30 metres above the ground.
The activity, which differs from bungee jumping by using a non-elastic rope that swings outward when taut, was performed without the jumper being attached to any rope. Video footage circulating on social media showed the woman being lifted over the heads of two instructors before being released from the bridge edge. The instructors wore harnesses connected to a rope, while a third person appeared to hold her ankles during the lift.
Earlier videos from the same location show jumpers secured with a thick rope clipped to a harness, a safety step that was absent in this incident. A nurse attempted resuscitation on site, but police found the woman without vital signs.
Three employees of the company offering the jumps were arrested; two initially fled but were later detained. Authorities noted the company lacked authorization to conduct jumps from the bridge, according to Brazil’s Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services.
The victim’s GoPro-style camera was not recovered, and the instructors said they did not know its location. She was buried in São Paulo State on Sunday.