Woman Falls to Her Death After Bungee Jump Staff Forgot to Attach Safety Cord

A 21-year-old woman plunged to her death during a bungee-style jump in Brazil after staff allegedly failed to attach her safety rope.

Maria Eduarda Rodrigues de Freitas died Saturday, June 13, after being thrown from the Ponte do Esqueleto, or Skeleton Bridge, in Limeira, São Paulo, according to Brazilian outlets G1 and Folha de Pernambuco.

Disturbing video shared on social media reportedly showed de Freitas wearing a helmet as staff carried her to the edge of the abandoned bridge and tossed her over.

Seconds later, a witness filming the jump appeared to notice something horrifying.

“Guys, the rope!” the witness shouted, according to reports, as the safety cord was seen left behind on the ground.

Witnesses told Brazil’s Military Police that de Freitas was thrown without a rope attached and fell roughly 131 feet. A police helicopter was called to the scene, but she was pronounced dead there.

De Freitas, who had graduated in physical education and sports management, had reportedly purchased a guided rope-jumping tour from the top of the disused bridge.

Before the fatal jump, she allegedly posted a chilling joke on Instagram Stories.

“Who was the crazy person who let me jump off a bridge?” she wrote, according to O Globo.

Her fiancé reportedly became ill after arriving at the scene and had to be taken to an emergency room. De Freitas’ social media profile was later taken down.

Authorities said six people were brought in for questioning after the deadly fall. Three men, ages 27, 32 and 42, were arrested at the scene and charged with homicide with implied malice, a representative for the São Paulo government confirmed to PEOPLE.

Officials said the operation was not properly authorized.

“It was a team there that wasn’t regulated; they didn’t even have authorization to be there,” Delegate Andrea Dantas Levy told G1. “They ended up organizing this event, and this fatality happened today, in my perception, due to a failure to verify and supervise the placement of the rope on the victim’s jump.”

Defense attorneys for the suspects said the men were highly experienced and that this was the company’s first fatality in years, according to G1.

The Limeira City Council is now filing a complaint against Brazil’s federal government over the incident.

“It is necessary to determine responsibility for the lack of access control to a federal area that has presented known risks for years and still lacks the necessary protection measures,” Limeira Mayor Murilo Félix said, according to The Mirror.