More information is coming out about the tragic death of Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas.
As we’ve been covering, the 21-year-old was supposed to be enjoying a bungee-jumping excursion in Brazil when her instructors (not pictured above) allegedly forgot to attach her safety rope. She was lunged off the Skeleton Bridge in Limeira, São Paulo, where soon after onlookers noticed that her rope was not attached. She ended up plummeting 131 feet to the ground, and when EMTs arrived she was pronounced dead.
So, so awful. But how could something like this even happen?
Well, new reports are coming from local police, per Brazilian outlet O Globo, and they tell an even more detailed story.
As we previously reported, six people were taken into custody after Maria Eduarda died. Of the six people, three were said by the outlet to be handing out wristbands at the event, and were later released from custody. The other three, however, were charged with homicide. They were identified as 32-year-old Luis Felipe Feliciano Egoroff, 27-year-old Vitor de Freitas Goncalves, and 42-year-old Maicon Fernandes Cintra.
Related: Maria Shared Haunting Final Post Minutes Before Plummeting To Death
According to the outlet, Maria Eduarda’s fiancé was present at the time of the incident, and he looked on in horror when he saw what happened. From there, two of the three instructors who would later be charged, are alleged to have fled the scene! Seriously! Reports are saying they threw this girl off the bridge, noticed her rope wasn’t attached, and RAN.
They allegedly weren’t even arrested until an air search took place, and a military helicopter found them in the woods! OMG!
Andréa Dantas Levy, a deputy for the local police, said after being obtained, the instructors claimed to have had a “blackout” and they say they didn’t remember whether they attached the rope or not. He explained to the outlet:
“They said they can’t remember where and when the fault occurred, who would have to have put it, and didn’t. The third, who held [her] legs, said he was only called in to help with the throw.”
Per the outlet, Judge Paulo Henrique Stahlberg Natal declared all three of the instructors would be kept in custody, on the grounds that two of them tried to escape. He explained that “their freedom could lead to the repetition of equally dangerous conduct”. If they’re found guilty, they could face anywhere from six to 30 years behind bars.
Another mystery surrounding the case includes a 360º camera Maria Eduarda appeared to be holding in the videos leading up to her being thrown off the bridge. According to the outlet, on top of the $36 fee the instructors were charging to bungee, people who signed up could pay an additional $30 to get a camera to take on their jump.
Maria Eduarda is believed to have had one of these cameras — yet it hasn’t been recovered, and searchers haven’t been able to find it at the base of the bridge. Hopefully they’ll be able to find it soon and get more evidence of what really happened.
Such a horrible situation. We send our love to Maria Eduarda’s family as they deal with this unimaginable grief. May she rest in peace.
[Image created for PerezHilton.com]
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