‘I was in shock’, says man who canceled jump on Skeleton Bridge before fatality
Self-employed Rian Rodrigues, 20, escaped witnessing the tragedy with young Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas, 21, because he decided to cancel the jump scheduled with the Entre Cordas group on Friday (12), one day before the accident.
It would be his third experience on the so-called Skeletor Bridge, the place from where Maria Eduarda was thrown without any safety equipment. She free-falled about 40 meters and succumbed to her injuries, dying on the spot.
Three people linked to the case remain in detention, suspected of intentional homicide. The defense of those involved argues that it was manslaughter and highlights that the group called for help immediately and provided all possible assistance after the fall.
Rian has lived in Limeira since childhood and spoke to reporters on Monday afternoon (15), during office hours at a supermarket in the city. He has always been interested in extreme sports and, in addition to rope jumping, he had already done a parachute jump in Boituva.
The young man had scheduled another jump on the Skeleton Bridge for May, which was the last time he was there. The previous one happened in mid-March. According to his report, security never presented any failure in these opportunities.
“They checked all the details in those days. The rope, the equipment, everything was carefully inspected. They pulled it to test and the experience went without any problems. Afterwards, I even left a positive review on Google”, he said.
Both times, he went to the bridge despite the opposition of relatives, who considered the sport too risky. “My aunts and my sister didn’t approve. Still, I ended up going,” he recalled.
For him, it’s a few intense seconds of adrenaline that make up for the preparation. “You spend some time organizing yourself, watch others jumping beforehand and then it’s your turn. But it goes by very quickly,” he described.
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Upon learning of Maria Eduarda’s death, however, he had no reaction. “I was in shock. It seemed like a well-structured and reliable operation. Then the information came that the group didn’t even have a CNPJ. That was very disappointing,” he said.
Maria Eduarda was buried on Sunday (14), in Jandira. Ponte do Esqueleto represents a traditional point for jumping in Limeira and usually attracts visitors from various parts of the region.
The place is recognized even by those who are not involved in extreme sports.
“I never saw it in person, but everyone knew that the sport was practiced there frequently,” gas station attendant Gilberto Camargo, 60, who has lived in Limeira for over 40 years, told the report.
He himself doesn’t know the bridge closely, but several acquaintances have already gone to the place to watch the jumps.
Gilberto found out about the death on Saturday, while working. “We were all shaken. How does someone forget to attach a rope? That’s the question that never leaves the mind of every Limeirian and, apparently, the entire country”, he commented.
