The mother of the Brazilian 21-year-old student who was thrown off a bridge without a safety rope in a horrifying bungee jumping accident has spoken out in a heartbreaking statement.
New horrifying details are emerging after the 21-year-old Brazilian woman, identified as Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, plummeted to her death from a bridge near the city of Limeira in Brazil.
The student was thrown off the so-called “Skeleton Bridge” without a safety rope during a bungee jump. The operators forgot to attach the rope, and the woman plunged 130 feet to her death in a ravine and died.
The bridge has been the subject of many illegal extreme sports activities. Sadly, it appears that the bungy jump operators weren’t licensed to carry out a jump at that particular spot. Local authorities said the bungee jumping company had been a problem for years.
“In addition to the circumstances that led to the young woman’s death, it is necessary to establish who is responsible for the lack of access control to a federal area which, for years, has posed known risks and is still without the necessary safety measures,” the mayor of Limeira, Murilo Felix, said Sunday.
“We have been calling for action for months to ensure that the Federal Government assumes its responsibility. Unfortunately, its failure to act has just resulted in yet another tragedy in Limeira,” he continued.
Mom of 21-year-old thrown off bridge without a safety rope release statement
Now, Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas’ mother, Valdenia Rodrigues, has decided to speak out. In a heartbreaking Instagram post, she said,
“‘That damned rope took you away from me forever,” Valdenia Rodrigues wrote in an Instagram post on Sunday, as reported by Brazilian news outlet Estadao. “My beloved daughter, only today I wanted to hug you more than a thousand times. How it’s hurting me your departure.”
Three of the bungee jump operators were charged with homicide on Sunday. The other three suspects who worked at the illegal site were detained but later released without charge.
“They do not remember whether they forgot to attach (the ropes), or who was supposed to do it, or who failed to check. But the fact is the ropes were not attached to her,” police investigator Andrea Levy told reporters.
According to The Sun, some of those believed to be responsible for the tragedy allegedly fled into nearby woodland shortly after the incident. Police launched a helicopter search and located at least two individuals near the Ponte do Esqueleto trail.
A nurse who found the 21-year-old in the ravine claimed that Maria Eduarda was still alive when she found her, but despite life-saving treatment, she died.
Valdenia Rodrigues, the mother of Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, continued in an Instagram post, “I love you forever, my princess. And thank you so much for being a part of my life during those 21 years. What an honor it was to hear you call me a mother. God, thank you for that privilege.”
Rest in peace.
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